


The Road Before Us

by greywilde



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Safe Sex, Babies, Background Kaydel/Rose, Basically a lot of medical talk related to having a baby, Blow Jobs, Breastfeeding, Childbirth, Christmas, Discussion of Pregnancy Complications, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Failed Birth Control, Falling In Love, Family, Fluff, Labor and Delivery, Mildly Dubious Content, Minor talk of blood loss, Pregnancy, Pregnancy complications, Pregnancy related doctor appointments, Pregnant Sex, Premature Childbirth, Reconciliation, Romance, Self-Doubt, Semi-Public Sex, Underage Drinking, Unplanned Pregnancy, background finn/poe - Freeform, brief discussion about considering the option of abortion, discussion of pregnancy weight gain, discussions about breastfeeding struggles, holiday fluff, induction of labor, manipulative Snoke, mention of medical labs and tests, postpartum, postpartum emotions, unknown baby daddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:26:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27750751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywilde/pseuds/greywilde
Summary: Twenty, single, and unexpectedly pregnant from a drunken hookup with a stranger, Rey Jackson didn’t expect to find love, especially not with the estranged son of her boss. Amid the holiday chaos, they find themselves dealing with sudden complications in their own lives as they grow closer to one another. Will a shocking discovery change everything?**UPDATE 2/9/21 - I promise I have not abandoned this fic! I am slowly working on writing the new chapters and decided to write the rest before I start posting again (mostly to ensure that everything flows and the pacing works 😊). Life has been crazy and writer’s block keeps striking but it’s slowly coming together. I’m so sorry to have dropped off for so long, but updates are coming sooner than later 💛 I can’t wait to share the rest of this with you all!
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 642
Kudos: 597





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to another fic! 
> 
> Please read the tags before proceeding, and feel free to exit out if any of the content is triggering or not your thing. There are no surprise twists for the readers (just the characters, haha) in this fic and I am laying everything out beforehand so you know exactly what to expect. If you need any further clarifications, I’ve elaborated on a few things in the endnotes in regards to certain tags (lots of spoilers, but I’d much rather give all the info ahead of time to avoid potential triggers).
> 
> This has a lot of fluff and fun and romance and just pure holiday sweetness too. There is very little angst between Ben and Rey (the tag for angst is for things like Snoke being awful and Rey’s pregnancy complications). 
> 
> As always, I have most of the fic already written so expect fairly regular updates!

* * *

  
Rey Jackson paused to take in the familiar scent of pine and cinnamon that filled the lobby of the Alderaan Hotel. Hearing the faint melody of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas playing over the speakers, her lips curved into a small smile as she took in the transformed space. Garland hung from every railing, bold poinsettia plants sat atop the counters and tables, and the twenty-foot tree trimmed with glistening ornaments and twinkling lights stood proudly in the center of the room.

Continuing towards the back offices, she dropped her things off at her locker in the employee break room and adjusted her black tunic sweater, making sure her name tag was securely pinned in place before heading out to the front desk to begin her shift. 

“Mmm morning,” her coworker Kaydel greeted her, taking a sip of coffee. “How are you doing today?”

“Fine, just tired.” Rey scrunched her nose as she replied. “Are you okay? You’re looking a little rough, and I say that out of pure love.” 

Kaydel made a face. “My head is killing me and my stomach feels like it is about to stage a revolt. I ate and drank way too much yesterday.” 

“I’m sorry. At least we have a few quiet hours before the check-in rush,” Rey reminded her as she scrolled through the upcoming reservations on the computer screen. 

“I’m not ready,” she groaned. “We’re completely booked through the first week of January too.” 

The Alderaan Hotel was one of the nicest hotels in the area and a popular destination for romantic winter getaways and family vacations. Located on a hill above the town it boasted close proximity to shops and restaurants combined with gorgeous mountain views in nearly every direction. The day after Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the holiday tourist season when thousands of visitors would flock to the small Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, Washington to experience the Christmas magic. 

“There’s also a huge group coming in next weekend.” Rey pointed to her screen. “First Order Tech has their holiday party on Saturday evening. They paid an obscene amount to book a large block of rooms for their executives to stay the night.” 

Kaydel frowned. “Aren’t they based out of Seattle? Who asks their employees to drive three hours for a party?”

The Alderaan was a luxurious resort for the small, charming town, but it paled in comparison to the four-star high rise hotels in the city where huge corporations typically held their holiday parties. 

Rey shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe they wanted to do something different?” 

“Maybe,” Kaydel replied. 

“How are things going this morning?” 

Rey turned to see her boss, Leia Organa, emerge from her back office. Her graying brown hair was swept up into a chignon and she wore her usual uniform of a comfortable fair isle sweater and dark slacks with clogs. 

“Slow, for now, we’ve checked out all but the three rooms who requested a late check-out, and so far there have been no early arrivals for today’s reservations yet,” Kaydel informed her. 

“Good. Why don’t you two take an extra-long lunch and go eat something greasy,” Leia eyed Kaydel knowingly. “I’ll watch the front desk until you get back.” 

“Are you sure?” Rey asked. 

The older woman smiled and nodded. “I can tell you two need an extra boost before the rush this afternoon, get out of here and bring Kaydel back less hungover.” 

Reaching over to hug her, Rey murmured her thanks before following Kaydel into the backroom to retrieve her coat and purse. Leia caught her hand and regarded her with a concerned expression. 

“Are you feeling okay?” she inquired softly. 

“I’m just tired, but I’ll be alright. I didn’t eat much yesterday so I think I need a good meal too,” Rey explained. 

Leia nodded and squeezed her fingers. “Don’t forget the heartburn meds,” she said with a wink. 

“How does Resistance Pub sound? Leia suggested greasy food, and that’s probably the best place to find some,” Rey grinned as she and Kaydel headed out the front door of the hotel. 

“My stomach thinks it’s a horrible idea, but she’s probably right,” Kaydel sighed. “Do you want to drive, or should I?” 

Rey pulled her keys out and pointed them towards her car. “I’ll drive.” 

They made the short trip to the pub, parking in one of the empty spaces outside before heading into the restaurant. 

“Hey strangers, isn’t it a little early for your lunch break?” A friendly voice called as they stepped inside the familiar establishment. 

Rey rolled her eyes at Resistance’s owner, Poe Dameron, who stood grinning at them from behind the bar. 

“Leia sent us on break early so Kaydel could get rid of her hangover,” she sighed. “Your food is extra greasy so it seemed like the obvious place to come.” 

“Finn’s feeling pretty rough today too,” Poe replied. “I made him eat a good breakfast, but based on the texts he’s been sending, it didn’t do him much good.” 

Poe and his boyfriend, Finn, had been two of her first friends after arriving in town. She and Finn had bonded over their similar upbringing - both were orphaned at a young age and passed around the foster care system. He had been fortunate to find a placement with a supportive family to finish high school and had gone to college nearby before landing a job at a local bank. The two men had met at the pub three years earlier and had been dating ever since then. 

“I tried to warn him when he was drinking Han’s punch like water,” Rey chuckled.

“That makes two of us,” Poe sighed and motioned towards a group of tables by the front windows. “Why don’t you guys go take a seat over in that section and I’ll send our new girl over.” 

Minutes after they sat down, a shorter girl with a friendly smile and her hair pulled into a half ponytail approached them with a pad of paper in hand. 

“I’m Rose, can I take your order?” she asked cheerfully. 

“You must be the new waitress!” Rey greeted with a smile. 

Rose’s face fell a bit. “Oh no, can you tell? I just started this week and I’m so nervous.” 

“You’re doing great,” Rey assured her. “We’re friends of Poe’s. Are you new in town?”

“I just moved here last week,” she replied proudly. 

“I’ve been here for a little over a year and a half, you’re going to love it,” Rey replied before glancing over at Kaydel and seeing the faint blush on her friend’s cheeks. “Kaydel’s lived here her entire life though, I’m sure she’d love to show you around sometime!” 

Rose nodded enthusiastically. “That would be great,” she smiled before turning to Kaydel. “If you don’t mind, that is.” 

“No, I don’t mind at all,” Kaydel cleared her throat and smiled. 

“Should we order, Kay?” Rey grinned. “I’m going to have the soup of the day and a side salad with ranch and extra croutons. Water to drink, please.” 

Rose jotted a few things down on the paper and then looked at Kaydel. “How about for you?” 

“A burger and fries, no pickles,” Kaydel answered softly. “With a sprite.” 

“I’ll be right back with your drinks, let me know if you need anything else,” Rose replied. 

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kaydel buried her face into her hands with a soft groan. “Was I that obvious?” 

“I could see the hearts in your eyes, Kay,” Rey teased. “She’s cute, and I think she seemed interested in you as well. You should go for it.” 

Kaydel sighed and took a sip of her water. “Easier said than done, I’m still hesitant about starting a new relationship.” 

Earlier that year, Tallie, Kaydel’s last girlfriend, had unexpectedly ended their relationship after two years to move to California, leaving her friend devastated and completely heartbroken. 

“You can always start with friendship and see where it goes,” Rey suggested. 

Kaydel smiled and nodded. “I can do that,” she agreed. 

They left the pub pleasantly full, and with Kaydel in possession of Rose’s number and a plan to get together the following day. Rey drove them back to the hotel, parking her car in the small employee lot to the side of the building before they returned to the front desk to find Leia cheerfully helping an older couple through the check-out process. 

“That’s the last of today’s check-outs,” she informed them. “I made sure house-keeping is turning over those rooms right away, and we should start seeing our first guests arrive for tonight’s reservations at any minute. Are you feeling better?” 

Kaydel nodded. “Greasy food helped, and I took another dose of ibuprofen,” she smiled. “I’m sorry for showing up hungover.” 

Leia waved her off with a dismissive glance. “It happens to the best of us, dear,” she replied. “I’ll be back in the office if you need me.” 

“Thanks, Leia,” Rey called after her boss. 

Leia and her husband Han had taken Rey in nearly a year and a half earlier. She was barely nineteen, and the beat-up Ford Taurus she’d stolen from her former foster father’s junkyard in Idaho had broken down on a back road in the middle of Eastern Washington. 

She’d been nearly five when her birth parents had died of a drug overdose. A neighbor had found her in their apartment two days later living off of dried ramen and dirty water from the sink. After several short term foster arrangements, she’d ended up in the care of Unkar Plutt - a large, sweaty, chain-smoking man who had absolutely no business fostering pet rocks, let alone young girls. When she wasn’t in school, she would disappear into the far corners of the junkyard to avoid Plutt and his questionable associates. 

It was behind an old, rotting shed that she’d taught herself to rebuild a car. She graduated high school and stuck around just long enough to get it running. Once it did, she was gone. 

Two hundred miles later she was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone and the paper map she’d misread that had led her away from the main highway. The blazing sun in the middle of June was relentless as she stood off to the side of the road, flagging down each car that passed by her. 

No one slowed down at her desperate waves. Not until a blue tow truck came along, pulling up behind her with a friendly honk of the horn. The older man who exited the cab gave her a small smile and handed her a bottle of water. He introduced himself as Han, told her he had a garage in Leavenworth, and insisted she sit in the air-conditioned passenger seat of his truck while he hooked her car up and towed her to his auto shop.

That afternoon, he invited her back to his house where she’d met his wife. Leia had immediately asked her to stay for dinner and insisted she stay the night. The following morning over breakfast, they had told her they wanted her to stay with them and that she could help out at the hotel until she got her feet on the ground. 

A year and a half later, she was still living in Han and Leia’s guest room and working at the front desk at the Alderaan Hotel. 

“As usual, everyone likes to show up at the same time,” Kaydel mumbled softly as the lines at the counter continued to grow. 

The number of guests arriving at the hotel had picked up quickly in the early afternoon as the check-in time approached. Guests of all ages with excited expressions marveled at the decorations; many expressing how excited they were to see the town at Christmas time and enjoy time away before the chaos of the holidays. 

“Welcome to the Alderaan, how can I help you?” Rey smiled as a young couple approached the front desk. 

“We have a reservation for the next two nights, under Hanson. Ryder and Violet,” the man informed her. 

Rey typed the last name into the computer and found their reservation quickly. “There you are, a deluxe king room with check-out on Sunday. Can I see your ID and a credit card for the room?” 

Ryder handed over the two cards and Rey confirmed his identity and matched the credit card to the account on file before handing them back. 

“Let me just get you your room keys, I have you on the sixth floor with a great view of the mountains. Are you two celebrating anything special this weekend or just a holiday getaway?” 

“Mostly the holidays,” Violet answered shyly. “But, it’s also kind of an early babymoon, we’re expecting our first next spring.”She patted the slight bump under her puffy jacket with a proud smile. 

“Congratulations, that is definitely worth celebrating,” Rey agreed, placing her hand on the large swell of her own stomach. 

“Oh! How far along are you?” Violet asked excitedly.

“Thirty-one weeks as of today, I’m due in late January,” she replied

The other girl grinned. “That’s coming up soon! I’m not due until April and it feels like forever from now.” 

Rey finished their room keys and slid them into an envelope before sliding them across the counter. “It feels slow, but it goes fast. Enjoy your time and congratulations!” 

Ryder took the envelope and nodded. “Thank you so much.” 

“Yes, thank you!” Violet added. “Congrats to you and your husband too!” 

Rey felt her stomach flip but didn’t correct them as they excitedly walked to the elevators. There was no father. She was twenty, single, and pregnant from a drunken hookup in a dark corner at a concert with a man whose name she didn’t know and face she couldn’t remember. The hazy memory from that past spring still played on a loop in her mind. 

May 2020 

_“We’re gonna go take a break over there, sit down for a bit,” Poe called over the loud music. “You wanna join us, or you good here?”_

_Rey blinked and slowly processed his words, the alcohol she’d been consuming all evening had made her brain swim. “I’m good here,” she finally answered._

_Finn cocked his head to the side. “You sure, peanut?”_

_“Of course, you two are just gonna go make out, I’d rather not be there,” she slurred a bit as she laughed._

_“We’ll be keeping an eye on you,” Finn assured her as he took Poe’s hand in his and the two disappeared into the thick crowd._

_Finn and Poe had dragged her over to Seattle to attend a concert that weekend. Poe had a hookup at the club and had been able to get her a 21+ stamp, despite her only having turned 20 a couple of weeks earlier. Rey usually didn’t drink much, to begin with, so after four drinks that evening, she was well on her way to becoming completely wasted._

_Closing her eyes, she continued to sway in time to the music, letting her hips move along with the sultry beat and rich bass. As she stepped back, her foot came in contact with a solid object and Rey felt herself fall backward until she was rescued by a pair of strong arms around her waist and a deep chuckle in her ear._

_“Careful there,” the voice murmured._

_Spinning around slowly she was met with a broad chest and a chin covered in thin dark hair. He wore a dark fitted t-shirt, and a tattoo with the words “let the past die” wrapped across his bicep in a thick gothic font. Glancing upwards, she squinted in the dim light to make out his features, but beyond his dark hair and goatee, the rest blurred together._

_“Sorry,” she apologized quickly and began to back away._

_He tightened his grip and leaned down, his breath hot against her ear. “Want to dance?”_

_Nodding slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they began to move together as the next song began. He smelled strongly of whiskey and sandalwood, and a hint of sweat. As they moved, she quickly realized from his jilted movements that he wasn’t much more sober than she was and it caused her to giggle. Her amusement only caused him to dance with more inhibition and soon they were stumbling over other concert-goers to find a dark corner near the back of the room._

_She pulled him down into a kiss once they were hidden from most of the crowd. Pressing her lips against his, she heard him moan as he held her closer, letting his mouth move eagerly over hers. Their tongues entwined as they deepened the kiss while his hands drifted lower to cup her ass over the flimsy material of the dress she wore._

_“Fuck baby, you’re so hot,” the man growled as he thrust his pelvis against hers, his hardened erection digging into her lower stomach._

_Rey’s hands slid down his front and fumbled to unbutton his jeans, sliding them down just far enough to pull his cock from his boxer briefs. It was hot and heavy in her hand as she encircled his girth and began to pump lightly. His fingers slipped underneath the hem of her dress and past the band of her panties, tracing her slit before finding her clit and rubbing gently._

_“So good, right there,” she managed to whimper as he thrust one finger inside her entrance, joined quickly by a second._

_“Can I fuck you?” he growled._

_She nodded faintly, “please.”_

_He withdrew his fingers and turned her away from him, bending her forward slightly as she felt him lift her dress and slide her panties to the side. The blunt head of his cock pressed between her legs and slotted just inside her entrance._

_“Shit, you’re so tight,” she heard him whisper in her ear._

_“Wait. I’m not protected right now.”_

_The man pulled away and sighed. “Fuck, I don’t know if I have anything.”_

_She heard him rustle around behind her for a moment, followed by a breathy “hell yes.”_

_“Find one?” Rey asked._

_“In my wallet,” he replied. “Forgot it was there.”_

_Rey arched her back as he entered her again, thrusting forward with a grunt. “Fuck you feel incredible,” he groaned as he began to move in earnest, his hips slapping against her ass as he frantically worked himself towards an orgasm._

_She rubbed her clit in firm circles as his finger pinched her nipple through the fabric of her dress. Her head was swimming as her climax built. “So close, don’t stop.”_

_“I can’t last baby, you’re taking my cock so well.”_

_He came with a grunt, holding her close to him as he breathed heavily against her neck._

_“What the fuck are you doing to her!” A familiar voice shouted._

_Rey immediately felt the loss of contact as the man withdrew quickly. “She asked me to fuck her, man, I don’t think it’s any of your business.”_

_She turned to see Finn standing there looking furious._

_“Finn, it’s fine, I’m just having a little fun,” she assured him._

_“You’re drunk, peanut, he took advantage of you!” Finn protested._

_The man growled and shook his head. “I didn’t,” he argued._

_“I wanted this, Finn, okay?” Rey replied softly._

_“Come on, let's go back,” Finn sighed, pulling her arm and leading her away. Rey turned and looked over her shoulder, watching as the man buried his face into his hands._

The following morning she had woken up with fuzzy memories of dark hair and the tattoo on his right bicep. 

Two and a half weeks later she missed her period. 

Four days after that, a pregnancy test confirmed what she already suspected. 

She had sat on the toilet lid trying to come to terms with how it happened. They’d used a condom, right? Logically she knew those weren’t 100%, but the idea that one would fail the first time she’d had sex in over a year was hard to come to terms with. 

Panic, uncertainty, and confusion had followed leaving Rey with a tough decision to make; one that would change her life forever. 

**** 

“Ah, Kylo, come in my boy,” Gideon Snoke’s thin voice announced as he stepped into the enormous office. 

“You wanted to see me, sir?” Kylo asked as he took a seat on the other side of the desk. 

Mr. Snoke regarded him with a raised brow. “I hear that you are refusing to come to the holiday party this year. You are more than aware that unless I personally deem the circumstances to be dire, all First Order Tech executives are required to attend.” 

Kylo replied with a single nod. “Given the location you chose, I feel it’s best that I not participate this year.” 

“Ah, your mother’s hotel, that’s right, I had forgotten,” Snoke sneered. 

Kylo knew Snoke hadn’t _forgotten_ at all. 

“Your behavior is childish, Kylo,” he continued. “Even after ten years, you are still letting them influence your decisions. You will be attending, and that is final. Ignore your parents for all I care, just don’t do anything to embarrass me or the company. Need I remind you that you’re still on probation from your little stunt earlier this year.” 

He nodded. 

The little stunt Mr. Snoke referred to was his brief departure from the company back in February. Kylo had been growing steadily tired of Snoke’s manipulations and abuse and had walked out after a particularly heated exchange. Over the following three months he stayed at his apartment, rarely going out until his favorite band played a concert at a nearby club. 

That was the night he drank too much and fucked a girl who barely looked old enough to be there. Her friend had stopped them just after he’d come, accusing him of taking advantage of her. While the girl had insisted that wasn’t the case, he’d felt guilty. Guilt that had turned into panic when he’d gone to the bathroom to clean up and found the broken condom at the base of his cock. He didn’t remember much after that, only that he’d gone straight to the bar and ordered another drink. Then another. And another. 

The next morning he’d woken up in a hospital bed with Gideon Snoke standing over him.

 _“Imagine my surprise to get a phone call just before three am that you were found passed out in a back alley,”_ the older man had sneered. _“I didn’t realize that I was still your emergency contact, and I almost ignored the request to come and get you, but you see young Kylo, I care about you. I want you to come back to work First Order, your job still waits for you, my boy. Shave that ridiculous facial hair, get a haircut, and be in your office at eight am sharp. I’ll take care of any legal troubles this little stunt may have cost you.”_

Kylo had cleaned himself up, and walked into the office on Monday morning, quietly returning to his position as if he’d never left. At first, things had been fine, Snoke had given him space and seemed fairly pleased at his return. Then, bit by bit, the comments and manipulations started again.

It was obvious that Snoke had picked his mother’s hotel in the small town where he’d grown up on purpose. He was well aware of Kylo’s estrangement from his parents and it was just the sort of cruel decision for him to make. 

He knew he needed to quit once and for all, but he didn’t know if he had the strength to leave. 

Swallowing thickly he looked across the desk at the man and sighed. “I’ll be there.” 

“Excellent,” Snoke replied, offering Kylo a knowing smirk. “I know I can always trust you to make the right decisions. Remember who you owe, my boy, not very many people would’ve given you a second chance after your little incident. I’ve been more than generous, don’t your forget that.” 

His stomach was in knots for the rest of the day. The combination of Snoke’s increasing manipulations and the chance of seeing his parents again weighed heavily on his mind. They’d had a falling out during his junior year of college over Christmas dinner. Kylo had met Snoke earlier that fall and the tech mogul had taken an immediate interest in him. He’d been so excited to share that Snoke was interested in hiring him right out of school when his Uncle Luke had spoken out against the idea. Luke owned his own cloud computing company, the much smaller firm had been slowly struggling against the bigger companies like First Order, and Kylo had quickly accused his Uncle of being jealous. His parents had sided with Luke and Kylo had left before dinner was finished. 

That was the last time he’d seen or talked to his parents. He took an internship during his senior year at Snoke’s company and was hired the day after graduation. Over the next decade, he’d worked his way up to an executive VP position under Snoke’s tutelage. There had always been the undercurrent of manipulation in Snoke’s dealings, but it wasn’t until earlier that year that they had come to a head. 

Kylo wasn’t sure how he was going to handle being back in the town where he’d grown up, at the hotel his grandparents had built and his mother now ran. She had always been hands-on at her job, working the front desk, and greeting guests alongside her staff. There would be no way to avoid her. 

With another deep sigh, he ran his hands through his hair. He’d been ignoring his parents for a decade, he could do it for a weekend. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wall of text, as I mentioned up top of I wrote all of this out so those who want a very detailed explanation for common TW/CW tags can know exactly what to expect. If you have ANY questions or concerns about something, please ask in the comments. I am more than happy to explain or give a heads up! 
> 
> Underage Drinking, Mild Dubcon, Semi-Public Sex, Failed Birth Control - In a flashback scene Rey and Ben hookup at a concert. She is twenty, so I used the underage drinking tag. Dubcon is because they have both drank enough to impair judgment to have sex in the back corner of a concert venue (semi-public sex tag). They are aware enough to both give consent, and use a condom. Finn catches them at the end of the act and pulls Rey away, accusing Ben of taking advantage of her as Rey insists it was consensual. From Ben’s POV at the end of the chapter we find out that the condom he was wearing had broken, and that he drank himself to the point of blacking out after the fact. 
> 
> Pregnancy Complications, Premature Childbirth, Childbirth - I’m using my own experience with preeclampsia during my first pregnancy, and before I get the “that’s not how it usually works” comments - my symptoms presented out of the typical order and it was not a textbook case. Rey’s experience is entirely my own with a few details changed to fit the timeline. There is a lot of pregnancy talk in this fic, several mentions and descriptions of doctor appointments and tests and procedures (discussions of weight gain, urine tests, ultrasounds, and fetal growth, complications, etc.) Rey has an emergency induction at just before 35 weeks and a rough vaginal delivery after a long labor with complications after. I will clearly mark these sections for those that wish to skip over and I don’t go into a ton of detail for most of it - but the labor and delivery is a big focus in the story (will span a couple of chapters) and I wanted to give a thorough heads up! Both Rey and the baby will be fine, I promise. My own pre-e baby is going on 12 now ;-) 
> 
> Ben/Kylo - Ben goes by Kylo in a good chunk of this fic. I refer to him as Kylo in dialogue tags and descriptions, and Rey calls him Kylo as well. Han, Leia, and a few others call him Ben though. When he decides to drop the name Kylo and go by Ben, I switch over to only referring to him as Ben - it’s much later in the story and is pretty clear where the change takes place. 
> 
> Disclaimers: I have very limited knowledge about the inner workings of a tech company and how the higher up levels and all the C?O, Exec VPs, and VPs work together. I pulled the fraud side plot from a little Google searching about corporate scandals, but I took a lot of liberties. I don’t go into a ton of detail about things either, but I think we all agree that Snoke is a shady fucker in any setting and he would undoubtedly be guilty of any number of fraudulent things and does a really excellent job of manipulating and hiding the truth from Ben.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concerns begin to arise with Rey's pregnancy and the First Order Tech Christmas party brings up more than one mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few new tags added, be advised that the first section of this fic depicts a pregnancy-related doctor's appointment with discussions about common tests and procedures (mentions of peeing in a cup, pregnancy-related weight gain, etc.) If you wish to skip over - scroll down and start after the two ** on the left side with the paragraph that begins "When she found herself unexpectedly pregnant..." 
> 
> I'll add a brief summary in the endnotes too.

* * *

  
Rey shifted uncomfortably in a lightly padded chair as she sat in the waiting room at the Leavenworth Women’s Clinic. Flipping mindlessly through the pages of the latest issue of People magazine, she occasionally stopped and glanced around the room. A young mother with a newborn cradled against her shoulder paced across from where she sat. _In a few months that will be you_ , she reminded herself.

“Rey Jackson?” 

She looked up to see Jessika, one of her usual nurses, waiting at the entrance to the back rooms with a clipboard in hand. 

“Hey,” Rey greeted her as she made her way across the room. 

“Hey you,” Jess smiled. “How are you feeling?” 

“Huge, tired, the usual,” she replied with a sigh. 

“Two months left, you’ve got this,” Jess assured her. “Do you need to use the bathroom?” 

Rey snorted and gave her a knowing look. “I always need to use the bathroom.” 

Jess laughed. “Great, you can give us a urine sample first then, let me grab you a cup and you can take care of that so we can get the results from the lab ASAP.” 

She disappeared into a side room and emerged a moment later handing her the clear plastic cup with a bright green lid and a packet containing a disinfectant wipe. 

“I’m sure you know what to do by now. Come down to room four when you finish,” she said as she handed her the items. 

Rey nodded and slipped into the single bathroom behind her, shutting and locking the door. 

Jess was waiting for her when she walked into the exam room. 

“Aiming in the cup certainly doesn’t get easier the further along I am,” Rey grumbled.

“It really isn’t a fair set up for you guys,” Jess agreed. “As long as we get a tiny bit, that’s all we need. Shall we check your vitals?” 

Rey nodded and stripped off her coat and shoes before following Jess to the scale. She was up an even 22 pounds, right on track with the amount she was expected to gain. Her blood pressure came next, reading right at her usual 112/64. 

“Any contractions lately? Swelling? Bleeding?” Jess questioned as she filled in the updated stats on her chart. 

Rey shook her head to each. Besides feeling what she thought could be a Braxton Hicks or two, there wasn’t anything exciting to report. 

“Other than starting to feel enormous, I’ve been feeling really well overall,” she explained. 

“That’s what we love to hear! I’m going to go and let Doctor Holdo know that you are ready, and check in on your lab report.” 

Several minutes later, a soft knock came at the door, and Dr. Holdo poked her head inside the room.

“Hello dear, how are you doing today?” She asked as she entered and shut the door behind her. 

Rey smiled. “Pretty good, just feeling huge.” 

“That tends to happen these last couple of months,” Amilyn assured her. “You look perfect though, your vitals look great, your weight gain is right on track...” 

Rey sensed that there was a _but_ hanging in the air and bit her lip. 

Dr. Holdo pulled the rolling stool next to the side of the bed and sat before tapping a few times at the screen on her iPad. “I just went over your lab results and there is a bit more protein in your urine than we usually like to see. It’s not a very concerning amount yet, but it’s enough that I want to keep an eye on it.” 

“What does that mean?” Rey asked, suddenly concerned by the news. 

“Sometimes it indicates an infection, which you do not have, they ruled that out first,” Amilyn explained. “It can also be a symptom of preeclampsia but your blood pressure is perfect and has been steady the entire time, and I saw on your chart that you reported that there has been no swelling, correct?” 

Rey nodded. “Correct.” 

“As I said, right now I have no major cause to worry, but we’ll keep an eye on it. I’ll have you start coming in weekly, and I want you to call if you start noticing a concerning amount of swelling. Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

The rest of the appointment went perfectly, the baby was still in a head-down position and her fundal height measured right on target. Amilyn reminded her to continue getting rest and fluids and promised to see her the following week. 

  
  


“How did things go today?” Leia asked as they watched TV together that evening. 

“Good, for the most part. Amilyn said I had an increased level of protein in my urine,” she explained. “Nothing else is concerning though, but she wants me to start coming in weekly to keep an eye on it.” 

The older woman nodded. “Always best to be safe, but I’m sure everything will be fine.” 

Rey smiled at the assurance. 

**

When she’d first found herself unexpectedly pregnant, she’d been terrified to tell Han and Leia. They’d already done so much for her, given her a place to live, a job, and had become the closest thing she’d ever had to parents. Rey had easily convinced herself that they wouldn’t want her around with a baby, so she’d kept the news to herself for a month. It wasn’t until she’d had a scare with a bit of spotting just before eight weeks that she’d finally told them the news. Leia had immediately gathered Rey into her arms and assured her that everything would be fine. She’d called Amilyn, set her up with an emergency appointment at the clinic, and held her hand as an internal ultrasound confirmed that everything was okay. 

Leia, and even Han, though he’d never admitted it out loud, were ecstatic at the prospect of being honorary grandparents. Leia had clucked around her like a mother hen as Rey had gone through the worst of her morning sickness, and had cried tears of joy with her at twenty weeks with the anatomy scan had shown she was expecting a perfectly healthy baby girl. They’d even cleaned out another room in their house for a nursery - a room that used to belong to their son.

Rey knew that Han and Leia had an older child who had been estranged for a decade. Han rarely spoke of him, but Leia occasionally mentioned him in passing. She knew he was around thirty, and that his name was Ben, but not much else. Rey couldn’t help but feel guilty when they had decided to transform his room into the nursery. However, Leia had insisted it was time to move forward and packed up his things before Han and Chewie carried carefully labeled boxes to the basement that past summer. 

*

“Housekeeping just confirmed that all of the rooms reserved for First Order tech are clean and ready for the guests. The Naboo ballroom is set up for their party this evening and the catering staff is already beginning preparations. Is there anything else we need to take care of before we expect the first arrivals?” Kaydel asked as she and Rey went over the final list the next day. 

Scanning the page, Rey shook her head. “No, everything looks good,” she replied before setting the list to the side. 

“That’s good,” Kaydel let out a long breath. “Leia has been really on edge today, have you noticed that?” 

Rey frowned as she realized the truth behind Kaydel’s words. Leia had been _incredibly_ stressed lately, much more than usual for the busiest time of the year. 

“It is a pretty high profile company, she’s probably worried about making sure their party and retreat go smoothly.” 

“That’s probably it,” Kaydel agreed. 

As the First Order employees began to arrive, Rey and Kaydel checked them into various rooms on the 7th and 8th floors with the best views. The company had spared no expense, booking their best block of rooms as well as several junior suites for the executives. Their president, Gideon Snoke, had reserved the presidential suite for himself and had personally asked to talk to Leia as he checked-in that afternoon. 

Rey immediately noticed something was off about her boss’ demeanor as the older woman emerged from the back room and her mouth formed a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. 

“Mr. Snoke, we are so pleased that you’ve chosen our establishment for your holiday party. I do hope the event space and rooms are to your liking,” she bit out with a frosty tone. 

Kaydel glanced over at her with wide eyes, Leia was rarely anything but warm and hospitable. Rey glared back with a brief shake of her head. 

“I’m sure everything will be as promised, Ms. Organa, my entire staff is very much looking forward to our stay,” the man’s thin voice replied. “Particularly my executives.”

Leia’s entire torso stiffened at those words. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said through her teeth. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to finish a few things in the back. Kaydel or Rey are here if you need anything else.” 

She disappeared quickly leaving a confused Kaydel and Rey in her wake. Rey plastered a smile on her face as she handed the older man his room key. 

“Have a nice stay, sir,” she called out as he turned and left without a second glance at them. 

“That was weird right? Like _really_ weird?” Kaydel rushed over to Rey’s side once Mr. Snoke was out of hearing range. 

Rey nodded. “I’ve never seen her like that, do you think she knows him somehow?” 

“Well, everyone knows who Gideon Snoke is, and I know he’s not the most popular, but Leia doesn’t hate anyone. Why him?” 

“Who knows,” she shrugged. “Her brother Luke owns a smaller tech company, maybe it has something to do with him?” 

Kaydel pondered over that for a moment. “That’s probably it, First Order has caused a lot of smaller companies to shut down and they’re always in the news for something scand-” 

The dramatic sound of a voice being cleared came from above them and Rey looked up to find a tall man with a piercing stare fixed directly at them. His tousled dark hair framed a clean-shaven face dotted with moles, and she couldn’t help but stare as he began talking.

“Would either of you be able to help, or is gossiping about your guests taking up too much of your time?” He sneered as he raised a questioning brow. 

Kaydel immediately returned to her side of the desk and busied herself at her computer. 

_Traitor!_ Rey thought, shooting her friend a glare. 

“I can help you sir, and I apologize, we shouldn’t have been discussing those matters,” she replied professionally. “Your name, please?” 

“Kylo Ren,” he answered. 

Rey punched his info into the system and his reservation appeared. Frowning as she read the information on the screen, she realized his room was nowhere near the rest of the company. Instead, his reservation showed their most basic room on the third floor with an obstructed parking lot view and two double beds. 

“Let me check on something real quick, it seems there was a mistake with your room assignment,” she explained.

“A mistake?” Kylo asked. “What do you mean, a mistake?” 

Rey searched through the system to try and find an open room to switch him into near the rest of his company, but the entire hotel was booked. “You were placed in a basic room, nowhere near the rest of your company, sir. I’m trying to correct that but I’m afraid we’re booked solid.” 

“The executive team was promised suites,” he hissed. 

“Sir, please let me figure this out, we assigned the rooms based on information we received, and I’m trying to find out where the mixup may have occurred,” she tried to placate him, going back through the information to find the instructions from the company. 

Locating the email, she scanned through the list of employees and the specific requests they had sent over when the reservations had been made. Nearly everyone was in a deluxe view room, save for the executives and president who had been assigned suites. One line caught her eye, _basic room, no view needed_ , _employee wishes to be placed away from the others_ next to the name Kylo Ren. She hadn’t been the one to assign rooms, because she definitely would have remembered that instruction. 

“What is taking so long?” Kylo asked impatiently. 

Rey let out a sigh. “It says you requested a basic room with no view away from the others.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” The man slapped his large hand on the counter and Rey jumped at the loud noise. 

“I understand you are frustrated, but you need to calm down,” she held his gaze firmly, her heart racing in her chest. 

The man let out a loud laugh and ran his hands through his hair. “Calm down? I don’t even want to fucking be here, and now I’m stuck in this shithole in one of the fucking worst rooms. Let me guess, over the parking lot by the dumpsters? Probably 3219?” 

“3217,” Rey whispered. “Have you stayed here before?” 

“A very long time ago and I hoped I’d never need to come back. This is fucking bullshit. Whatever, give me the key, it’s clear you are incapable of being able to help.” 

“Listen, sir, she’s trying her hardest, but we’re completely booked and there’s only so much we can do,” Kaydel spoke up, crossing to stand next to Rey with her hands on her hips. “I can get our owner to come out and talk to you if you’d like.” 

“No, no that’s not necessary,” he growled. “The room will be fine, just give me the key.” 

Rey quickly finished the check-in process and activated his key before placing it in the envelope and handing it to the man. “Have a nice stay, sir.” 

He nodded once, grabbing the envelope just a little too aggressively, and stalked off towards the elevators. 

“What the hell was his deal?” Kaydel whispered as he left. “We should tell Leia about him, don’t you think?” 

Rey nodded. “I’ll go mention it, I need to take a breather. Can you handle the front?” 

“Of course,” Kaydel assured her. “There are only a few others that still need to check-in from the company, I’ve got this.” 

Leia was sitting behind her desk with her head buried into her hands when Rey knocked lightly on the door frame. Glancing up, the woman gave her a watery smile, quickly wiping her eyes as she motioned for her to come inside. 

“Are you okay?” Rey asked. 

“Absolutely,” Leia attempted to convince her. “Just silly holiday emotions, that’s all. How can I help you?” 

Rey hesitated for a moment. “This might not be the best time to bring this up, but we just checked in one of the First Order executives who for some reason was placed in 3217, and he threw a bit of a fit. More than a bit of a fit actually. We offered to have you come out and talked to him but he refused.” 

“What was the name?” Leia asked faintly. 

“Umm, Kyle - no, wait, Kylo. Kylo Ren.” 

“I’ll talk to him if I see him,” she replied after a moment. “Was his room placement a mistake? I thought the executives were in suites?” 

“That’s the thing, his name specifically had instructions that he didn’t want a view and only wanted a basic room away from the rest of the group. I didn’t assign rooms, but it doesn’t appear to be an error.” 

Leia nodded and sighed. “Thanks for letting me know dear.” 

****

Kylo inserted the key into the slot on the door, turning the handle as soon as the lights turned green and the familiar beeps rang out. Setting his bags down just inside, he flipped on the lights. The room’s interior had been updated since his last visit. Gone were the gaudy floral bedspreads, and in their place were crisp white linens. Dated wallpaper had been replaced with a soothing taupe paint and modern flat screens mounted to the wall replacing the oversized armoires that had held the large box television sets he remembered from years before. 

With a sigh, he sat down on the edge of one of the double beds and fell back against the plush bedding, digging the heels of his palms against his eyes as he groaned. He knew it wasn’t the hotel’s fault he was in this room, this sort of thing had Snoke written all over it. At least he’d gotten through check-in without seeing his mother. He would hide out here until the company party that evening, sneak down shortly after it began, and stay only as long as he needed. Leia rarely worked late anyway, she’d be long gone by the time he needed to be downstairs and he’d check out early the next morning before she returned. 

A loud knock at the door sounded and he jolted upright. 

“Ah, Kylo, I wanted to come and see how you were settling in,” Snoke smirked as he answered the door. “We did have a suite for you, but when you considered not attending, I thought it best to give it to someone else who actually wanted to be here. This was, unfortunately, the only room they had left after you changed your mind and agreed to attend.” 

Kylo knew from the instructions the girl at the check-in desk had read to him that it was a lie but he swallowed his reply and nodded. 

“It’s fine for one night,” he replied. 

“Good, good,” Snoke waved dismissively. “I wanted to remind you that the party starts at six this evening and I expect all employees to be on time and to stay through the event. Tomorrow morning we’ll have a mandatory brunch in the same room at 10:30 am. Though I’m sure you’re aware of all that, I’m sure you read the correspondence we sent out.” 

He had not, and no he wasn’t. _Fuck._

“I was planning to leave early tomorrow morning sir,” he admitted after a moment. 

“That’s not an option, my boy, not unless you want another strike against you. I’d really hate to have to dock your holiday bonus. We certainly can’t have the rest of the company think that I’m giving you any sort of special treatment after earlier this year, can we?” 

“No sir,” Kylo sighed. 

Snoke placed his gnarled fingers on Kylo’s arm and squeezed lightly. “That’s what I thought. I’ll see you at six sharp, and do something about your hair. You look sloppy.” 

He attempted a short nap, curling into the too-small bed, before giving up and hopping in the shower instead. Letting the steaming water cascade down his hair and over his body, he stood under the spray until his nerves were settled. 

Drying off, he toweled his hair and slipped into a simple black suit with a white button-down shirt and a thin silver tie. Dabbing a bit of pomade in his hand, he smoothed the front of his hair into the usual style he wore at the office, his dark locks expertly framing his face. Satisfied that it would meet Snoke's high standards, he washed the sticky substance from his hands and went to put on his shoes. 

Walking the familiar hallway brought up long-buried memories. His grandparents had built the hotel back in the seventies but had tragically passed away in a car accident the year before he was born. He’d grown up here, watching his mother learn how to run the family business. He’d considered following in their footsteps until he’d met Snoke who had convinced him that working for a tech company would make him a million times, and dollars, happier than some silly hotel in a tiny tourist town. 

As he rode the elevator back to the main floor, he stepped out into the lobby and rounded the corner to the ballroom to find his mother waiting just outside the double doors. 

“Hello, Benjamin.” 

“It’s Kylo,” he replied curtly, moving to push past her. 

Leia scoffed. “I named you Benjamin, and that’s what I’ll call you,” she replied as she looked him over with an unreadable expression. “You look good.” 

He stopped and his shoulders dropped. “I can’t do this now, please,” he pleaded softly. 

“It’s been ten years, your father and I miss you, honey,” she replied softly. 

Kylo gritted his teeth. “If you missed me so much, you certainly haven’t shown it.” 

His mother’s brow creased in confusion. “We’ve never stopped trying to contact you, we’ve tried to come to see you. You’ve ignored all of our calls and emails, you had us escorted out of your building -“ 

“Wait, what?” Kylo sputtered. “I’ve never heard from you, not in ten years and I never instructed anyone to escort you from the building. I was never told you had come.” 

“Well, we did,” Leia replied firmly. 

“I don’t believe you,” he growled. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to attend. Please respect my space during the duration of my stay.” 

“Ben, please,” she called after him. 

He turned and looked at the distressed expression on her face and his shoulders dropped. “How do you expect me to buy that? you don’t want me in your life. You’ve _never_ wanted me in your life.” 

Leia shook her head and reached out for his hand, frowning as he quickly pulled away. “That’s where you are so wrong, honey, we’ve always wanted you and we’ve wanted nothing more than to have you back with us. I don’t know what Snoke has told you, but he’s not a nice man, he’s changed you. Ben, you have to believe that we never stopped trying to reach out to you.” 

A few of his co-workers rounded the corner and Ben shook his head. “I can’t do this,” he mumbled as he turned and pushed the door open, disappearing into the ballroom and leaving his mother, hurt and confused. 

“Ren! Snoke is looking for you.” 

Kylo turned to see his coworker Armitage Hux standing just ahead of him. 

“I’m only five minutes late,” he grumbled looking at his watch. 

Hux shrugged. “I wouldn’t be getting on his bad side any more than you already are,” he replied.

Of course that little brown-nosing weasel would be privy to more information than he was supposed to know. Hux was the biggest suck up at First Order. It was common knowledge that he would sell out his own grandmother to stay on Snoke’s good side. 

“Fine.” 

Kylo pushed past his co-worker, making his way into the large space. 

The room had been transformed for the holidays with several trees and garlands decked out with warm white lights and festive ornaments to provide color and light. Dozens of round tables surrounded a dance floor at the base of a stage where a jazz ensemble played a catchy version of _Jingle Bells_. 

He spotted Snoke across the room, laughing with another member of the executive team, and made his way in their direction. 

“Kylo, my boy, I was beginning to worry you weren’t going to show up,” Snoke greeted him before turning to the other man. “Enric, if you don’t mind, I need to speak with Kylo.” 

Kylo nodded at the other man as he stepped away. “Sir, my mother stopped me outside and wanted to talk…” 

“Do you think I care? It looks poor when the executives of the company are late for events. I don’t want to hear any more excuses,” he sneered. “Go find your seat and look like you want to be here.” 

He’d been assigned to a table with a few junior executives and their spouses, nobody he really recognized by name or face. Over the next hour he sat through dinner pretending to be interested in kids he couldn’t care less about and sports teams he didn’t follow. His mind kept going back to his conversation with his mother and everything she’d said. Everything that had contradicted what he thought he knew.

Snoke gave his annual speech before the band began to play again and many of his coworkers hit the dance floor. Kylo stood up from his table and crossed the room to the bar, ordering a whiskey on the rocks. As he turned back around, he collided with a solid object and found himself covered in cold liquid. 

“Ah bloody hell, Ren, watch it!” Hux cried out as he stumbled into him.

Kylo sighed and brushed as much of the drink from his jacket as he could. Thankfully it had hit his side and missed the front of his white dress shirt. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough already?” he glared at the other man. Hux was clearly a few glasses in already. 

“Lighten up, Ren, it’s a party,” he teased. 

He shook his head and ordered a new drink before heading straight for the double doors that led back to the lobby. He needed to get out of there. 

The consequences of leaving early didn’t matter anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dr's Appt Summary w/o too many details - One of Rey's labs comes back with a symptom of a potentially major pregnancy complication, but as the other symptoms aren't present, there isn't a huge worry yet. Dr. Holdo asks her to start her weekly appointments early just to be safe. 
> 
> Thanks so much for all the feedback and support and excitement for this fic so far! This is probably the least fluffy chapter of the entire thing, but necessary to move us forward. I promise things will get better very quickly as major truths are revealed and discussed. I have chapter three ready to go for tomorrow just so I don't leave you hanging with angst and animosity. As promised, our two favorites have very little conflict in this fic, it's basically all in this chapter. 
> 
> Also, this is a different version of Ben/Kylo that I’ve written and the first time I have written him still under Snoke’s manipulations. He’s definitely grown tired but feels trapped and is just starting to find out a lot of things aren’t what they seem. Things begin moving forward in a healing direction starting next chapter. 
> 
> I know one commenter noticed the cameo of two of my OCs from my fic, Write For Me, in the last chapter? Anyone else? Haha!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey spends her evening with friends, and Kylo spends his evening with his parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new tags, but lots of new info in this chapter! More in the endnotes...
> 
> This one is pretty dialogue heavy...those of you who have read my other stuff know how I can get 🤣
> 
> Thanks, as always, for the support for this story! I am loving the feedback!

* * *

  
Rey watched as Kaydel snuck a glance at her phone from under the front desk, blushing and giggling as she typed out a quick reply. 

“How is Rose?” She asked with a smirk the next time Kaydel looked over in her direction. 

“She’s amazing,” Kaydel gushed. “We went to dinner last night and I invited her back to my place to watch a movie. She didn’t leave until _after_ breakfast this morning.” 

Rey shimmied her shoulders as she let out a whistle. “I’m so happy for you, Kay, she seems fantastic.” 

“She is,” her friend sighed. “We are hanging out with Poe and Finn tonight, you should come too! Poe said something about decorating their tree since they didn’t get around to it last weekend.” 

“Finn texted me about that earlier, but I told him it would depend on how I felt when my shift ended. I think I’ll stop by for a bit though,” she replied.

Kaydel clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh good. I really want you and Rose to get to know one another.”

Rey nodded and placed her hand on her stomach. “Can you watch the front desk? I’ll be right back.” 

“Of course.”

“Mr. Tall, Hot, and Grumpy came out and sat in the lobby a few minutes ago. He looks kind of rough,” Kaydel muttered when Rey returned a few moments later, nodding her head in his direction. 

Slowly, she craned her neck to see Kylo sprawled out in a chair facing the fireplace, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he sipped a glass of dark liquor. 

“I wonder what his deal is,” she murmured. “Should I go see if he’s okay?” 

Kaydel shrugged. “After earlier? I wouldn’t, but it’s your call. Maybe his drink calmed him down a bit.” 

“Maybe,” Rey smiled softly. “I’ll go make sure.” 

“Good luck.”

He didn’t look up until she was right beside him, and when he did he didn’t say anything - simply glancing over her form with a blank expression. 

“You’re pregnant,” he observed softly. “I didn’t realize earlier.” 

Rey could smell the whiskey on him and wrinkled her nose at the strong odor. “We, uh, noticed you were out here by yourself and wanted to make sure you were okay. _Are_ you okay?” 

Kylo chuckled briefly and inclined his head towards his glass. “I’m fine, I’m just not one for parties. This is only my first drink.” 

“You don’t smell like it’s your first drink.” 

He lifted the sleeve of his jacket to his nose and inhaled. “Ah, yes, my colleague, Hux, spilled my drink on me earlier. He’s already well on his way to becoming completely wasted.” 

“We have a dry cleaning service if you’d like me to arrange that for you,” Rey found herself offering.

“Thank you, but I’m fine. I don’t plan on staying around long enough tomorrow and can take it to my usual cleaners when I get home.” 

Rey pressed her lips into a firm line and shrugged. “Well, if there’s anything I can get you, please let me know.” 

She started to turn away when his hand shot out and gently grabbed her by the wrist. 

“I’m sorry about earlier, I should never have yelled at you, especially now that I know you’re -“ he stopped and motioned at her protruding stomach. 

“Apology accepted,” Rey replied. “Pregnant or not, you should mind your reactions to the people who are just trying to help.” 

Kylo appeared suitably chastened and nodded, releasing his grip from her arm and returning his hand to his side. “You’re right. This isn’t the easiest place for me to be.”

“This town?” 

“This hotel.” 

“ _This_ hotel?” 

“I’d really rather not talk about it if you don’t mind.” 

Rey swallowed and nodded. 

“Rey, darling, there you are!” Leia swept into the lobby, the smile quickly falling from her face as she noticed Kylo. “I see you’ve met my son.” 

Rey’s eyes widened as she glanced between Kylo and Leia. “You’re Ben?” 

He rolled his eyes. “Did she tell you all about how much of a failure I am?” 

“Ben, that’s not true,” Leia started. 

“But she knows about me, so you must have told her something,” Kylo accused. 

His bitter tone caused her to react and she couldn’t hold back any longer. “She’s hardly told me anything, only that she and your dad miss you.” 

“Rey, darling, you don’t need to stand up for me,” Leia said softly. 

“She doesn’t need to be in our family business either,” Kylo snapped. 

“You’re the one who was just telling me you hated it here,” Rey shot back. “Pick a lane.” 

Leia let out a sigh. “Rey, that’s enough. Go back to the front desk with Kaydel, I’ll see you at home tonight.” 

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, refusing to look back at Kylo as she turned away. 

****

Kylo watched as Rey walked back to the front desk, then glanced over at his mother who was glaring at him the same way she always had when he did something to disappoint her. 

“Really, Ben?” she sighed. 

“ _See you at home?_ She lives with you?” He asked coldly, ignoring her question. 

“She does,” she confirmed as she sat down in the chair beside him. 

Kylo let out a snort. “What? No husband?” 

“Not that it’s your business, but no. She’s a single mother. She’s been working at the hotel and living with us for a little over a year and a half now.” 

“I didn’t realize you and Dad were taking in charity cases,” he replied bitterly. “Is she some sort of replacement then?” 

“Never. We have _never_ tried to replace you, and we _never_ will,” Leia replied emphatically. “She needed help and we’ve grown to care about her very much, but she’s not a replacement for you.” 

Kylo stared down at his nearly empty glass and sighed. “Are you going to help her raise the baby?” 

Leia nodded. “Of course we are.” 

“So then why do you expect me to believe that you’ve been trying to contact me for ten years? You have a new child and a grandchild, everything you wanted.” 

“Damn it, Ben!” She stood up quickly and began pacing back and forth. “You are thirty years old and still that stubborn, petulant, teenage boy who thinks the whole world is out to get him. You have been convinced since you were a teenager that your father and I have some grand plan against you and it’s entirely untrue. What is it going to take to convince you that it’s all in your head?” 

He didn’t have an answer for her. 

“Can you come to the house? I want to continue talking to you but this isn’t the place.” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

“Please, Ben?” 

He sighed and nodded. “For a few minutes.” 

A genuine smile spread across Leia’s face. “Thank you. I’m heading out in a few minutes, stop by whenever you can. We’ll wait up for you.” 

The craftsman style house hadn’t changed at all. It was still the same sage green with the white trim and a dark blue door. His parent’s cars sat in the driveway in the same spots they had always parked. Letting out a long sigh, he stepped out of his vehicle and walked across the snow-covered gravel to the walkway and up to the front door. 

His father answered before his finger reached the doorbell. 

“Ben,” he breathed and then pulled him into his arms. “Welcome home.” 

He felt his body stiffen at first before letting out a deep breath and lightly returning the embrace. 

“Is that Ben?” Leia asked as she appeared in the entryway. “Come in, you two are letting all the cold in!” 

Following them into the living room, he sat on one side of the couch as his parents took the two chairs across from him. 

“You have new furniture,” he commented as he looked around the open space. “It looks good.” 

“I didn’t ask you to come home to talk about furniture, Ben.” Leia chided gently. 

“Princess, if he wants to talk about the damn leather couches, we’ll talk about the damn leather couches. I’m just glad he’s here,” Han grumbled. “We’ve missed you, kid.” 

“That’s what mom said,” he replied. “But I haven’t heard anything from you two in years.” 

“Lies,” Han insisted. “Your mother told me about what you said when she got home. Ben, we never gave up on you. Leia, show him the emails.” 

He watched as his mother reached below the coffee table and pulled out a laptop and opened it to his father’s email account and a screen showing dozens of messages sent to his company account. 

“We sent so many, most were ignored, but every so often we would get a form reply,” his father explained. 

Kylo took the computer and began scrolling through, opening emails at random, and reading various messages from his parents that he’d never seen before that moment. 

“I never got them, I’ve never seen _any_ of these before,” he whispered. “And I certainly never sent any replies. That wasn’t me.” 

A horrifying realization came over him as he handed the laptop back to his mother. Snoke clearly had a hand in this, there was no other explanation. No one else at First Order knew about his estranged history from his parents. At least not that he had told. 

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder. “I tried to tell you earlier, Snoke is not a good man. He’s in your head, Ben, he’s convinced you that we don’t care. But, honey, he couldn’t be more wrong.” 

Kylo buried his face in his hands and let out a deep sigh. “I quit earlier this year. I was fed up and I just walked out. I didn’t know where to go from there, so I sat around at home and did nothing. I grew out my hair and gained twenty pounds on take-out and junk food,” he explained quietly. “Three months later I drank too much at a concert and blacked out in an alley behind the club. Snoke was there when I woke up in the hospital the next day. He promised to make sure I didn’t have any legal ramifications if I came back to my job, so I did.” 

“And are you happy there?” Han asked. 

He shook his head. “No. But I can’t leave again. Snoke has been holding what happened earlier this year over my head for months. If I quit, he’ll destroy my entire future.” 

“We can help you, we have money and Lando is one of the most powerful Lawyers in the state if not the country,” Leia assured him, referring to an old college friend of his father’s . “Come home, Ben, we can make sure Snoke doesn’t hurt you.” 

“It’s not that easy,” he spat out and stood up, nearly hitting his knee on the coffee table. “You don’t understand what kind of connections that man has.” 

Han snorted. “Oh we are well aware, he’s personally tried to fuck over your Uncle Luke’s company on multiple occasions. Even before you started working there, and many times since. Did you know that?” 

Kylo shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“Well now you know,” his father said gruffly. “And you know who is the reason your Uncle Luke has been able to fight and win every single time?” 

“Who?” Ben sighed.

“Lando,” his father replied. 

“You need to talk to him, Ben. He’s been building a case against Snoke for years with several other smaller tech companies who Snoke has tried to go after through less than legal means. It would really help him to have help from the inside and help Luke too - he can’t fight Snoke forever,” his mother urged. 

“Is that why you wanted me to come over? To ruin my career to help Luke and Lando?” Ben seethed. “Snoke was right, you don’t care about me and you’ll always side with everyone else first. Don’t fucking contact me again. I’m done.” 

He went to leave and his father jumped up and blocked his path. 

“Sit down, Ben, right now.” 

Kylo backed up but refused to sit. 

“What am I supposed to think?” he asked in a defeated voice

Han threw his hands in the air. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe that it’s been killing us for ten years to know you are working for that monster? That we know he’s manipulated you and driven you away from us? We could tell what was happening ten years ago when you came home from college for Christmas and started spouting off your utter devotion and worship for the guy. And when Luke tried to warn you and you refused to listen, so of course we took his side - we’ve been watching Snoke try and tear his company apart for years!” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kylo shot back. “You kept saying Snoke was bad and it would be a mistake to work for him, but you never told me the rest.” 

“You were so set in your opinion, and Luke was afraid you would take information back to Snoke. He didn’t want you to know too much,” Leia answered carefully. 

“We should have been honest though, stopped you before you were in too deep,” Han added. 

“We’re so sorry, Ben, we know we made mistakes,” his mom said softly. 

He sat back down with a sigh. “You said Lando was working on a case against Snoke?” 

****

Rey settled back into the armchair in Finn and Poe’s living room, watching as the boys wrestled the tree into the stand while Rose and Kaydel flirted on the couch across from her. She was thrilled that Kaydel had found someone who made her so happy again, and Rose was the perfect addition to their group of friends. Her own relationships consisted of the boyfriend she had for two months during her senior year of high school - the one she’d given her virginity to after a Halloween party only to have him dump her at school the following week for another girl. Since moving to Leavenworth she’d had a couple of short flings, and then there was the drunken hook-up in Seattle. Nothing since then though.

No one wanted to date a single, pregnant mother.

“Can I get you anything?” Finn asked as he crouched beside her chair. 

Rey smiled and shook her head. “I’m good for now, thanks.” 

Finn squeezed her hand before standing. “Let me know if you change your mind, I can’t have my niece starving,” he replied with a wink. 

“Rey! We haven’t told them about who checked into the hotel today!” Kaydel gasped. 

“Ooh, a celebrity?” Poe asked. “Did you recommend the pub?” 

Kaydel rolled her eyes in Poe’s direction. “ _Not_ a celebrity. Leia’s son.” 

Poe’s jaw dropped. “Ben?” 

“He goes by Kylo now,” Rey explained. “Kylo Ren. Did you know him?” 

“I mean, we went to high school together, but we weren’t really friends. He was always an awkward kid, tall and scrawny with huge ears. The last time I saw him was when he came home for the holidays while he was still in college,” Poe recalled. 

“Wait, Kylo Ren? I’ve read about him in technology magazines, he’s a computer genius supposedly. The guy is one of the youngest executive VPs at First Tech and is completely loaded. What is he doing over here?” 

“First Order held a holiday party for their executives at the Alderaan tonight,” Kaydel replied. “He was a real jerk when he checked in.” 

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Poe grumbled. 

Rey shrugged. “He wasn’t so bad when I talked to him later, but things definitely seemed strained between him and Leia.” 

“Well they all leave tomorrow after brunch and we don’t work Sundays, so good riddance!” Kaydel grinned. 

“Indeed,” Poe agreed. “Should we start decorating?”

Totes of colorful lights and ornaments were pulled from a closet in a back bedroom, and the group got to work decorating the freshly cut tree that Finn and Poe had brought home earlier that evening. Rey sat on a cushion on the floor with her back against the couch as she carefully untangled a strand of lights. 

“I told him those were going to tangle last year,” Finn sighed as he sat beside her with his own set. “His _toss everything in and worry about it later_ method clearly needs some work.” 

Rey giggled as she wove another section out from the knotted center. “And yet his liquor bottles behind the bar are impeccably organized.” 

Finn smirked. “He had some help there, and he knows better than to mess _that_ project up.” 

“I should have guessed,” she grinned. 

They sat in silence for a few moments picking apart the tangled cords as Poe, Kaydel, and Rose sorted through ornaments on the other side of the room. 

“Are you nervous about Han and Leia’s son returning?” Finn asked after a moment. 

She shook her head. “No, he uh - he doesn’t really seem like he wants to be here. I’m not even sure if he stuck around before my shift ended.” Pulling another big strand out of the knot, she let out a sigh. “His boss was looking everywhere for him and he was pretty furious when he couldn’t find him.” 

“Gideon Snoke?” Finn asked. 

“That would be him,” she confirmed. “He gives me a really bad feeling.” 

“I’m pretty sure he gives everyone a bad feeling, he’s shady as fuck,” he agreed. “Well, hopefully, you don’t have any more interactions with either of them.” 

She finished untangling the last of her lights and set them neatly in front of her. 

“Kylo apologized before I left tonight, I didn’t get to talk with him long before Leia showed up and I found out who he really was, but he seemed different - sad, almost,” she explained carefully. “I don’t know.” 

“Just be careful there, okay? I don’t know much about him either but from the few things I heard tonight and what I know about the types that work higher up at First Order…” 

Rey placed her hand on his arm. “I know, I will. Not that I’ll likely see him again. But, still - thanks, Finn.” 

Once Finn’s strand of lights was sorted out, he helped her stand and the two of them crossed the room to the tree to help weave the multicolored bulbs through the branches. Standing on either side, they passed the cords around and around until they reached the end. 

“Oh, it looks so perfect!” Kaydel squealed as she rushed over to take in the fully lit tree. “Can we start putting on ornaments?” 

“Have at it.” Finn motioned with his hand. 

She grinned and put the silver snowflake she was holding on a higher branch. “Rose and Poe, come decorate!” 

The five of them had the tree covered in ornaments in no time. A mix of round balls, random fandom and hobby inspired figures, and holiday-themed ornaments made up the colorful assortment. It was bright and cheerful and chaotic, the perfect mix that made her look at the tree and think of a fun family Christmas that she had always wished to celebrate as a kid. 

Until she moved in with Han and Leia, she only had vague memories of a few Christmases from her earlier years in foster care when she was placed in homes that celebrated the holidays. Plutt didn’t even bother to put up a wreath on the door to the office at the junkyard. Rey used to make her own tree out of random objects she’d found. One year she’d even scavenged a working strand of lights, only for it to go missing afterward.

“Are you doing okay?” 

She turned to see Rose looking at her with concern on her face. 

“Oh yeah, just thinking,” she assured her. “It’s nice getting to spend more time with you, Kaydel is really happy.” 

Rose blushed. “She makes me pretty happy too.” 

“I’m glad,” Rey grinned. 

“What are talking about over here?” Kaydel joined them with a wide smile. 

“Being happy,” Rose answered simply. 

Kaydel’s smile grew even wider. 

When the others agreed to start a movie, Rey excused herself to head home early. It had been a long day and she was ready to crawl into bed and sleep late the following morning. 

“Drive safe,” Finn murmured as he hugged her before she stepped onto the front porch. 

“I will, I promise.” 

The lights were still on at Han and Leia’s when she returned home and parked behind an expensive black Range Rover. She didn’t recognize the car but based on the price it wasn’t hard to figure out who it belonged to. Pushing aside the nerves in her stomach, she made her way to the front of the house. 

Quietly entering through the front door, she slipped out of her boots and hung her coat on the rack before grabbing her phone from her purse. Han, Leia, and Kylo were talking quietly in the living room and Rey immediately felt the tension as soon as she entered. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said as she began to turn and leave. 

“Nonsense! Come have a seat!” Han called after her. “Leia said you met Ben earlier.” 

Rey gave him a small smile and a nod as she walked over to sit on the other side of the couch. “At the hotel, yes,” she confirmed. 

“Everything was still going smoothly when you left?” Leia asked. 

“As far as I know,” she smiled and then turned to Kylo. “Your boss was looking for you, he didn’t seem very happy when I told him I hadn’t seen you for a while and he was especially put off when I refused to give him an extra key to your room.” 

Kylo pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I need to get going.” 

“You’re letting him control your life, again,” Han warned. “It’s well past ten, what is he going to do about it at this hour?” 

“If I’m going to help with what we were just discussing, I need to stay on his good side as much as I can,” he shot back.

“Can you at least stop by again tomorrow before you leave? I don’t work on Sundays, and your father only goes into the shop until lunch. We can have an early dinner if you need to get on the road early,” Leia insisted. 

Rey looked between the three of them with a confused expression. It was obvious that she had walked in during the middle of an important conversation, and based on the vague details it clearly had to do with Kylo’s asshole boss. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Kylo finally replied after a moment before standing up and heading for the front door. 

“Ben,” Leia called after him. “We love you.” 

Rey watched as Kylo stopped and nodded once before continuing out the front door. Rey jumped up and followed after him, shoving her feet into her shoes quickly as she stumbled out onto the front porch. 

“Wait! I almost forgot to tell you! I found an open room, we had a no show for a king bed on the fifth floor, no dumpster view either. I tried to call your room to see if you wanted to swap but you didn’t answer,” she explained with a smile. “It’s probably still free, I can call the staff working the evening shift and explain and they can help you move when you get back. It would also give you an excuse if your boss tries to claim he knocked at your door all night.” 

Kylo regarded her for a moment and nodded, offering a small grin of his own. “That would be great, thank you.” 

“Perfect! I’ll call right now,” she assured him. “Have a good night, Kylo, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

He nodded. “I’m sure you will. Have a good night, Rey.” 

She slipped back inside and pulled out her phone, quickly dialing the front desk and reaching one of the overnight employees, Snap, who promised to make the necessary change to the reservation and have a key ready for Kylo when he got back. 

“You didn’t have to do that for him, you know,” Leia smirked as she walked into the entryway as Rey hung up the phone. “My son was an ass to you earlier, I would have made him sleep in the full-sized bed.” 

Rey chuckled. “And risk him being even more grumpy tomorrow? Nah,” she replied. 

“You’re a good egg, kid,” Han added as he came and stood behind Leia. “Shall we go to bed, princess?” 

“I suppose, it’s way past my bedtime,” Leia sighed. “You coming up too, Rey?” 

She shook her head. “In a little bit, I need a snack first.” 

“Don’t stay up too late, dear, you need all the rest you can get,” Leia murmured as she gently patted Rey’s stomach. 

“I won’t,” she promised with a smile. 

Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, she returned to the living room and sat on the couch, reaching for the remote and turning the TV on quietly to whatever Hallmark movie was playing. Rey let herself get lost in the predictable storyline, easily catching on to the plot as the grumpy business exec clashed with the hometown girl. As soon as the movie finished, she took her empty bowl to the sink and quietly crept upstairs - changing quickly into pajamas and crawling into bed. 

When she fell asleep that evening, she was absolutely _not_ thinking about Kylo Ren. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snoke is a huge manipulative jerk. No surprise there. We're only getting started too - but at least Ben knows the truth and gets to start moving forward a bit. 
> 
> As far as the two of them being able to recognize one another? It won't be so simple. On top of a dark club with flashing colored lights and two people who drank a fair amount and have fuzzy and incomplete memories - I picture Rey and Ben as looking quite different now than they did several months earlier just due to changes in their appearances (I personally picture the Ben at the concert as resembling Clyde Logan and the Ben now as AD's 2019 Toronto Film Festival look. At least that's how I worked all this out in my head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Rey get to know one another better as they spend time with his family and take part in a beloved town tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all the amazing support and feedback! It is SO fun to hear what you think.
> 
> I know that I'm updating this fic super fast, I decided I wanted to get it posted fairly quickly so it can be enjoyed during the holidays (and because I have another holiday fic for an exchange that I'm signed up to post on the 21st, and I want to be mostly - if not completely - finished posting this one before I start posting the other). Maybe a big goal, but it's mostly written so we'll see how it goes. I totally understand if you want to wait and read when it's finished if the updates are coming too fast.

__

* * *

_  
That’s not my ringtone_

Kylo opened one eye and realized quickly that the sound that had just woken him was not coming from his cell phone. He also realized that he wasn’t in his room. Or in his apartment. 

It took a second for his mind to catch up and remind him where he was. 

The loud ringing began again and he rolled over to grab the phone from the nightstand beside his bed. 

“Hello?” he answered gruffly, squinting his eyes to read the clock. _9:23 AM._

“Mr. Ren? This is Peli from the front desk. I wanted to let you know that your mother called in this morning and set up a two o’clock check-out for you,” she explained with a cheerful voice. 

He hadn’t thought about what he would do between the usual check out time of 11:30 and when he’d promised to come to his parent’s house for dinner, leave it to his mother to think of everything. 

“Thanks for letting me know,” he yawned. 

“Of course,” Peli answered. “She also wanted me to remind you that she’s still planning on seeing shortly after two for dinner this afternoon. Have a nice morning, sir!” 

She hung up before he could reply. 

He sent his mother a text to thank her for the late check-out and assured her that he didn’t need the reminder from the front desk, and then stripped out of the boxer briefs and undershirt he’d fallen asleep in and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Since he was up, he may as well make himself look presentable for the day before he needed to be at that ridiculous First Order brunch. 

“On time for a change, huh Ren?” Hux greeted him as he entered the ballroom. “Too bad Snoke isn’t here to witness your punctuality.” 

Kylo looked around the room, his boss was nowhere to be seen. “Where is he?” 

Hux took a sip of his mimosa and shrugged. “Already back in Seattle, I assume. Something came up early this morning and he needed to return to the city. I was not informed of the reason, but he left me in charge of making sure all the other executives attended the brunch.” 

“Well I’m here, so make sure you tell him that,” he replied and walked away. 

There was only so much Armitage Hux that one person could take before coffee. 

With Snoke absent, Kylo didn’t see the point of making an effort to socialize. Piling his plate with an assortment of breakfast foods, he found an empty table near the back of the room and took a seat. He was thankful at that moment for his reputation of being cold and distant, watching in relief as his colleagues and their spouses entered and sat anywhere but near him. 

His emotions were all over the place after everything he had learned the previous evening. It shouldn’t have surprised him that Snoke had interfered in his parent’s attempts to contact him. When he’d first started his internship at First Order, their emails and phone calls had suddenly stopped. Snoke easily convinced him it was due to Kylo choosing the company over his family, but looking back now he should have known they would have never given up on him so easily. 

He’d been letting himself buy into Snoke’s lies and manipulations for so long, and even after realizing how unhappy he was and quitting earlier in the year - he’d still gone crawling back. Taking a deep breath, he focused on pushing aside the anger, guilt, and betrayal and centered on the other feeling buried deep within: relief. 

The conversation last night with his parents was awkward and tense at best, but it was the first of many steps towards healing and reconciliation. Now that he knew the truth, he knew without a doubt that he had to be free from Snoke and all the pain he had caused. It wouldn’t be easy, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do it without their help. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Han’s face lit up as Kylo stepped into the familiar back office of Solo Auto & Body. 

“Got tired of sitting around the hotel and thought I’d come by, see how things have changed,” he shrugged. 

“Not much is different,” Han snorted as he waved a hand around the room. “Chewie’s out in the shop, he’d love to see you, come on - I’ll go with you.” 

Kylo nodded and followed his father into the garage bays, a few unfamiliar guys were hanging around but across the room, he saw the familiar shaggy head of his father’s best friend and business partner. 

“Ben!” Chewie grabbed him into the same bone-crushing hug he used to give him as a kid. Although this time he didn’t attempt to lift him off the ground. 

“I told you he was back,” Han grinned. 

Chewie patted him on the back and released him from his embrace, taking a step back. “How are you, kid? Why the hell have you been away for so long?” 

“I’m good, and I don’t really have a good answer for the second part,” he admitted. 

Han placed a hand on his shoulder. “He’s back now though, that’s what counts.” 

“Hear, hear!” Chewie agreed. “Have you met Rey yet?” 

_Rey_ . He still wasn’t sure what to think of the young girl, _woman,_ he corrected himself, who lived with his parents. She was beautiful and headstrong, and he knew he didn’t deserve her kindness after the way he’d treated her at the hotel the previous afternoon. There was something about her though, and he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he was looking forward to seeing her again that afternoon to find out more. 

“Oh, uh, yeah - yesterday a few times,” he finally answered after realizing he’d been lost in his thoughts. 

Chewie let out a roar of laughter that echoed off the walls of the garage. “Hoo boy! It’s like _that_ now, is it? She’s a special one.” 

“I thought I caught you glancing at her a few times last night,” Han looked amused. “Your mother would approve.” 

Placing his head against his hand, he let out a groan. “Please don’t get her started.” 

Chewie and Han both began to laugh again. 

His father shot him a knowing look. “If we figured it out kid, your mother _definitely_ knows.” 

****

Cheerful Christmas music filled the kitchen as Leia and Rey worked side by side to finish making homemade lasagna for dinner. Kylo’s favorite, according to Leia. He had texted that morning to confirm he would be there later that afternoon, and Rey didn’t think she had seen her smile so widely. 

The older woman had filled her in over breakfast about Snoke, his history with trying to sabotage Kylo’s Uncle’s business, and how their suspicions that the tech giant had been manipulating their son were true. Rey was furious on their behalf. She was no stranger to emotional manipulation from her experience with foster care, and after her limited interaction with Gideon Snoke the day before she found herself sympathizing with Kylo - she could spot that type of predatory behavior from a mile a way. 

“Rey, dear, you know that you have never been and never will be a replacement for Ben, right?” Leia asked her gently once they had finished preparing dinner. 

She nodded. “Of course I do.”

“Good,” Leia replied. “That’s a relief to hear. Ben was under the impression that we only took you in as a replacement, and we’ve told him otherwise, but he can lash out when he’s upset. I just wanted to make sure you knew if things don’t go well today and he decides to bring that up.” 

Rey placed her hand on Leia’s arm and smiled gently. “I won’t listen to him if he does, and I appreciate you telling me.” 

“You’re welcome, dear.” 

Kylo arrived just after two. Rey opened the door and nearly gasped at how different he looked. Gone were the tailored suits and stiff collared shirts. In their place, he wore a fitted black sweater and dark jeans with heavy brown boots. His hair was tousled across his forehead and he looked far more relaxed than earlier.

Quickly shaking off her shocked expression for a warm smile, she motioned for him to come inside the house. 

“How was the new room?” She asked as the door closed behind him. 

“Much better. Thank you again, you really didn’t have to do that - especially not after the way I acted yesterday,” he acknowledged. 

Rey chuckled. “Your mother said the same thing, but I figured this way you would be less of a grump today.”

“Very funny,” he drawled before glancing at her stomach. “I see you helped make dinner.” 

“Huh?” Rey looked down and blushed at the huge tomato sauce stain on her light blue maternity shirt. “Shit, I knew I took the apron off too early. I spill everything on myself these days. I’m going to run upstairs and change, your mom is in the kitchen.” 

Kylo and Leia were sitting side by side on tall stools at the counter when she returned in a clean shirt. Standing at the doorway, she quietly observed as the two talked, occasionally sharing a small smile or short laugh. 

“There you are,” Leia grinned as she noticed her. “Come have some coffee with us, or did you want hot cocoa?” 

“Coffee please, I could use the pick me up,” Rey replied. 

Kylo looked at her stomach. “Is that alright?” 

Rey smirked and nodded. “A moderate amount is completely fine, it’s mostly the heartburn I have to watch out for.” 

“You know there’s that old wives' tale about heartburn and the baby having tons of hair?” Leia chimed in with a grin. “I had a horrible time with it, and this one came out with a full head of dark locks.” 

“I don’t know if I had much hair as a baby, but from what I remember the father had long hair so I guess it’s possible.” 

Kylo looked at her like he wanted to ask a question but Leia changed the subject before he could. 

“I was thinking we could go into town for the tree lighting ceremony tonight after dinner. It’s at six, could you stay for that Ben? You used to love going when you were a kid.” 

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Kylo replied. “But I suppose I can come for part of it before I leave. Snoke wasn’t too thrilled with me after last night so I need to be early to work tomorrow to start a project he assigned me.” 

“Of course he did,” she muttered as she turned back towards the counter. 

Rey watched as Leia poured two mugs of coffee, giving one to Kylo before adding the splash of creamer she liked to the second and handing it to her with a tight smile. Nodding her thanks, she brought the edge of the mug to her lips and took a small sip. The hot, sweetened, beverage sliding easily down her throat. 

“So Kaydel seems happy with her new girl,” Leia mentioned casually after a moment. 

“She really is. Rose is good for her,” Rey replied with a smile. 

“I’ll have to pop over to the pub and meet her,” Leia added with a wink. 

Rey chuckled and nodded. “You should, especially if Kay is there too, she’s completely smitten. It’s adorable.” 

“I will,” Leia agreed. “What about you, Ben, any relationships in your life?” she asked. 

Kylo shook his head. “I don’t have time for relationships, Snoke finds them to be a distraction,” he answered. “If I need to bring a date to a function, he provides companions.” 

“You mean escorts?” Leia clarified as she raised a single brow. 

“Something like that,” he mumbled in response. 

“Let’s get this in the oven, we can eat early and head into town with plenty of time to get a good spot for the lighting ceremony,” Leia said, breaking the awkward silence that settled over the room. 

Rey nodded, watching as she picked up the pan and carried it across the kitchen. 

“Is there anything else you need me to do?” she asked. 

Leia looked over her shoulder and shook her head. “Not at the moment, dear.” 

Rey pinched her brows together. “I’m going to lay down for a bit, my head feels kind of funny.” 

She’d started feeling the beginnings of a headache earlier that morning, but the feeling had passed after a short time. The same sensation was slowly returning again, this time more pronounced than the last. 

“Do you need anything? Water? Tylenol?” Leia asked. 

“No, it’s not painful, only a bit of pressure. I’m sure a little rest will help,” she assured her. “Besides, you probably want to catch up as a family.” 

“Oh, Rey, you _are_ family too,” Leia assured her. “Go lay down so you’ll feel better later though, and don’t hesitate to ask for anything.” 

She smiled before giving Kylo a nod and turned to walk upstairs.   
  


After dinner, they drove down to the main shopping area. The town center was bustling with activity as they walked down the main street, boots crunching on the latest batch of fallen snow as the sparkling lights that trimmed the buildings illuminated the area around them. A group of kids giggled and shrieked as they rode sleds down the hill beside the large gazebo, and proud parents stood watching as they sipped hot beverages and snapped pictures. Rey loved this time of year in Leavenworth, there was something so magical about the holidays here.

“I used to sled on that hill for hours growing up,” Kylo murmured from beside her.

Rey gave him a smirk. “What’s stopping you now?” 

He threw his head back and laughed loudly. “I don’t think they make sleds in my size anymore, for starters,” he grinned. 

“Fair enough,” she smiled in response as she placed her hand on her stomach. “Next year, I’ll have this one to take sledding. Your mom already bought this adorable little sled to buckle her into.” 

“Her?” 

“Yeah, it’s a girl,” she answered softly. 

Kylo nodded. “That’s good, congratulations,” he offered. 

“Thanks,” she replied with a smile. “So what else did you like to do around here as a kid?” 

“Promise not to laugh?” He asked with a mock-serious tone. 

Rey smirked. “That might depend, but I’ll try not to,” she teased. 

“We used to go on a sleigh ride every winter through the woods. I started pretending that I hated them when I was a teen and they eventually stopped, but secretly it was one of my favorite things,” he explained. 

“I’ve never been on one,” she admitted. “They look magical though.” 

He didn’t reply, only giving her a brief nod and a smile. “We should catch up with my parents.” 

Rey followed his outstretched arm to see Han and Leia walking several yards ahead of them as they neared the crowds beginning to gather for the tree lighting. Leia looked back at them and smiled, motioning for them to hurry to join them. 

“It really means a lot to your mom that you’re here,” Rey mentioned as they continued to walk through the crowds. “I know you didn’t come over here to see them, but you didn’t have to stay and spend time either. They’ve really missed you, Kylo.” 

He let out a shuddering breath. “I shouldn’t have stayed away so long.” 

“Then why did you?” 

Kylo ran his hand through his hair and shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it right now. It’s complicated.” 

“I understand. I’m familiar with complicated,” she agreed softly. 

He remained quiet as they walked the rest of the distance in awkward silence. 

They headed towards the gazebo where a brass ensemble was playing a cheerful version of _Rockin Around the Christmas Tree_ that echoed around the space adding to the already festive atmosphere. Dozens of people were already gathered around, excitedly chatting as they waited for the lighting ceremony to start. Han and Leia had found a spot not far from the base of one of the tallest trees and had saved them a place to stand. 

“Did you two have a nice chat back there?” Leia looked at them knowingly as they approached. 

Han let out a snort and shook his head in amusement. “Leave them alone, Princess.” 

“Oh hush, that’s not why I was asking,” she chided. “But it is nice to see you getting along after earlier.” 

“Earlier?” Han questioned. 

“Our son wasn’t the most gracious guest at check-in yesterday,” Leia replied, arching an eyebrow in Kylo’s direction. 

Rey held back a giggle as Kylo rolled his eyes. “Not that it’s an excuse, but I was in a shitty mood. My boss is an asshole,” he grumbled.

“We tried to tell you ten years ago,” Han shot back.

“Not now,” Leia cautioned. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. Let’s enjoy this evening, okay?” 

A mumbled chorus of agreement passed through the group and Rey felt her shoulders drop as the tension of the moment began to fade. 

Christmas music continued to play in the background before an enthusiastic man stepped onto the top step of the Gazebo and announced the annual tree lighting ceremony had begun and led the crowd in a sing-a-long of _Silent Night_. A countdown followed as they chanted backward from ten, ending with a boisterous fanfare from the brass ensemble as dozens of trees lit up all around them when they reached zero. Immediately, the entire area was bathed in bright colorful lights and Rey couldn’t help but gasp - even though she attended the lighting ceremony a few times last year. 

“It never gets old,” Leia murmured. 

Rey rubbed her stomach as her daughter performed a gentle roll. “Next year we’ll get to bring her with us,” she added softly. 

Her daughter would be nearly a year at this time next year, just over ten months. She could picture her bundled up in a puffy snowsuit and a thick fleece hat that fastened under her chin leaving only her little face exposed. Mental images of red chubby cheeks and loud giggles had her smiling as she gazed at the trees. 

****

“I really hope you’ll consider coming home for Christmas this year, Ben,” Leia mentioned as they arrived back at the house later that evening. 

Kylo nodded once in response. “I will,” he replied. “I was actually thinking of coming over next weekend. Rey said she’s never been on a sleigh ride and I thought we should take her if she’d like.” 

He glanced over to see Rey smiling widely at him. “I would love that,” she agreed. “Only if you don’t mind making the drive.” 

“I didn’t realize how much I missed being over here,” he said softly. “Or how much I was missing out on.” 

Their eyes met and his mouth curled into a small smile at the way she blushed. 

“Well, I think that sounds fantastic, we haven’t been since you were a teenager!” Leia chimed in, interrupting the moment between them. “You’ll stay here, of course!” 

Han cleared his throat. “About that,” he began. 

“Oh, right, well we did put his old bed in the office - I’ll clean it out a bit so it’s not so cluttered,” Leia explained as she turned towards him. “We packed up your old room this summer, it’s all in boxes in the basement if you wanted to go through any of it. I kept everything for you.” 

Kylo wasn’t surprised that they’d packed away his things. He _was_ surprised that it took them almost ten years. 

“You kept my room for that long?” He found himself asking. 

His mother nodded. “We did. Rey uses the guest room, and we didn’t need the space for anything else until recently.” 

He followed her gaze to Rey’s stomach. _A nursery, of course._ The brief fear of being replaced flashed through his mind and he reminded himself of his mother’s earlier assurance. Even if they’d never had a falling out and he’d had a relationship with them over the past ten years, it was silly to expect his parents to hold onto his childhood bedroom until he was thirty. 

“Can I see it? I’m picturing my old death metal posters above a crib,” he grinned to lighten the mood. 

There were no death metal posters. No signs that it had ever been his space save for the basic overhead light fixture. The dark blue walls had been painted a light grey, and a white crib and matching dresser now sat where his furniture used to be. Several unopened boxes and bags sat in the middle of the floor, but otherwise, the room was still fairly empty. 

“It’s different,” he commented. “I like the grey.” 

Rey smiled proudly at him. “Pink seemed too much, and this way your parents don’t have to paint it again later,” she explained. 

“Painting over that dark blue was a hell of a time though,” his father replied dryly from behind him. “Took Chewie and me two coats of the expensive primer to cover the damn thing.” 

“If I recall correctly, you two weren’t very happy that I painted it in the first place,” Kylo laughed, remembering the weekend when he was sixteen that he’d painted his room in one afternoon while his parents were at work. 

His mother snorted. “It wasn’t the color, it was the fact that you didn’t cover the carpet very well and we had to replace it,” she reminded him. “Anyway, that’s behind us now.” 

“I should probably get going, it’s late,” Kylo said after they returned downstairs. His watch read just past eight, and at this point, he’d be getting home after eleven. 

“Drive safe, kid,” Han told him gruffly as he gave him a pat on the back. 

Leia wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down for a hug. “We’ll see you next weekend, honey.” 

Returning her embrace briefly before he stood again and looked in Rey’s direction. She was watching them from off to the side with a small smile. He caught her eye and gave her a brief nod. 

“I enjoyed meeting you,” he said. He wanted to add more, but he wasn’t ready to give his mother any further ideas and he didn’t know where he stood with Rey. Hopefully next weekend he would get to know her better. 

“You too, Kylo.” Her smile grew and she gave him a small wave. 

With a final round of goodbyes, he stepped out onto the front porch and began the walk down the front path towards his car. 

There was an email from Snoke in his inbox the next morning demanding him to come directly to his office as soon as he arrived. Kylo sighed, and pushed away from his desk, slipping his suit jacket back on and heading out into the hallway. 

“Come in,” Snoke’s thin voice called out as he knocked on the door. 

Kylo slipped inside and shut the door behind him. “I got your email, sir.” 

“Ah, yes, come sit. We need to talk about this weekend.” 

He crossed the room and sunk into one of the armchairs opposite the large desk. “Was there a problem?” 

The older man laughed humorlessly, carelessly tossing his expensive fountain pen to the side with more force than necessary before his expression grew hard. “I believe I told you that your presence was required at the entirety of our holiday party, did I not?” 

“You did, sir,” Kylo agreed. 

“And did I see you there for most of it?” He sneered. 

“I slipped out into the lobby for some fresh air.” 

Snoke didn’t look amused. “You disappeared after the first twenty minutes and I couldn’t find you or reach you for the rest of the evening. Come to find out, you weren’t even at the hotel, were you?” 

Kylo shook his head. “I went home to see my father, and talk with my parents.” 

“Kylo, Kylo, Kylo,” he tutted. “We went over this years ago, your parents don’t want what is best for you. I do. What happened to ignoring them?” 

“With all due respect, sir, I don’t think it’s fair that you deliberately planned the company party for the hotel you know my mother owns.” 

The older man stood so quickly his desk shook from the force. “It isn’t about what is fair, my boy. You are stronger than this, Ben Solo was a weak child who put too much weight into what his parents wanted. Kylo Ren doesn’t need them, it should have been _nothing_ to ignore them. Instead, you skip out on company activities to go play catch up.” 

Kylo swallowed the lump in his throat. “I apologize, sir,” he whispered hoarsely. 

“I suppose you spent time with them yesterday too?” Snoke sighed as he sat back down in his chair. 

He wasn’t sure if the man knew for sure or was making a lucky guess, but it wasn’t worth trying to lie. “I did.” 

“Weak,” he spat. “I don’t want you to see them again, ignore any future communication. Obviously, I overestimated your self-control.” 

Thoughts of the promises he’d made to return the following weekend and later that month for Christmas crossed his mind. He wasn’t going to let Snoke dictate who or what he spent his time with, he would have to keep that to himself. 

“I understand sir, I am sorry for letting you down.” The lies came too easily. 

Snoke tapped his fingers on the desk and fixed him with a hardened stare. “I’m cutting 25% from your bonus this year, disobey my orders again and I’ll cut the rest and consider a permanent demotion.” 

Kylo returned to his office and buried his face in his hands. He needed to get out of there. His parents were right - he’d spent a decade being manipulated and abused by Gideon Snoke, and it was time for that to end. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts and made a call. 

A familiar voice picked up after the second ring. 

“Benny! Your old man called and said I might be hearing from you. It’s been a long time, son.” 

Kylo grinned. “Hello, Uncle Lando.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Peli that I used for the lady from the front desk who calls Kylo at the beginning of the chapter is from The Mandalorian. Peli Motto manages the hangar at the Mos Eisley spaceport on Tatooine and watches The Child (or Baby Yoda or his real name that I don't want to spoil for those of you who haven't caught up yet) a couple of times. The same actress, Amy Sedaris, played the receptionist in Elf who says the line "I've never declawed kittens before..how many...eight?!" - so I thought it was fitting for multiple reasons to include Peli in this fic as a small part - she might make another appearance later on! 
> 
> I used inspiration from YouTube videos of the actual tree lighting ceremony in Leavenworth, WA for the scene (combined with a heavy dose of multiple tree lighting scenes from Hallmark movies). 
> 
> Snoke is still a massive jerk, I know. I want to k word him too. I'd like to say he doesn't get worse, but that would be lying...sorry...
> 
> I think that's all I had to add for this chapter! I've already got chapter five in final edits, so that should be up in the next day or two! I always plan for every other day updates, but I've been getting them out a bit more frequently. That will slow down as I hit the outlined parts of the story later on (and the closer the holidays get).


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More concerns arise with Rey's pregnancy and Kylo comes back to town for another visit giving the two a chance to grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet! There's a lot going on in this one too, keep an eye out for a fun cameo :) 
> 
> (if doctor appointment talk isn't your thing, I've marked the section with ** at the start and end) 
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting, it's so fun to hear what you think!

* * *

  
“I’m glad tomorrow is Friday. I’m ready for the weekend,” Kaydel sighed as she stepped behind the check-in desk. 

“Me too,” Rey agreed. Her week had gone by slowly, and she was ready for a couple of days off to relax. “Any fun plans?”

Kaydel shrugged. “Hanging out with Rose and doing some more shopping. How about you?” 

“Kylo is coming back into town to see his parents and we’re all going on a sleigh ride together,” she said with a blush. 

“Hold up. Mr. Tall, Hot, and Grumpy is coming back this weekend and taking you on a sleigh ride?” Kaydel grinned. “What is going on there and why am I just now hearing about this?”

Rey chuckled and shook her head. “It’s not a big deal. His parents are coming too and nothing is going on, I’m pretty sure he only invited me to be polite.” 

Kaydel gave her a knowing stare. “Mmm, yes, I am sure that’s _all_ it is.” 

“Kaydel,” Rey groaned. “He definitely isn’t the type of guy who wants to settle down with a massively pregnant unwed mother from a small town. He’s a millionaire, he probably owns a top floor penthouse, and he hires escorts for company events so he can have a no strings attached piece of arm candy.” 

“I saw the way he looked at you last weekend,” she smirked. 

Rey sighed, pressing the palm of her hand against her forehead. “You’re not helping my headache.” 

The pressure she’d started experiencing in her head on Sunday had been coming and going ever since and over the past couple of days, it had started growing into a dull throbbing pain.

“Are you sure you shouldn’t call Amilyn? You’ve had a headache every day this week.”

“I have my next appointment tomorrow, I’ll bring it up then, I promise.” 

Kaydel nodded, satisfied with her reply. “Hey, you should come to the pub with me after our shift. Rose is working tonight and I told her I’d eat dinner in her section.” 

Rey smiled. “I suppose I could go for some fish and chips.” 

Resistance Pub was busy with the typical dinner rush as they entered through the heavy wooden door. Walking past the hostess stand, Rey immediately spotted Finn sitting at the bar chatting and laughing with Poe while he worked the other side. 

“I don’t know how you run this place with all the flirting you two do,” she teased Poe as she wrapped her arm around Finn’s shoulders. 

Poe reached below the bar, pulling out a highball glass, before adding a scoop of ice and pouring in a few various liquors, all while delivering ridiculously cheesy pick-up lines to Finn. Pausing briefly, he slid the finished drink down the counter to a man sitting a few stools away with a nod. 

“Like that,” he said as he turned back towards them and winked. 

“He’s quite good at multitasking,” Finn confirmed with a smirk. 

“I’m sure he is,” Kaydel snorted. “Can I get a rum and diet coke?” 

“Sure thing, beautiful,” Poe replied, pulling out two more glasses and filling both with ice then looked at Rey. “Shirley Temple? Roy Rogers? Seltzer with cranberry & lime?” 

Rey mulled over the choices before deciding. “Shirley Temple. Extra cherries.” 

“You two go sit down, I’ll have these brought over to you in a moment,” Poe instructed as he pointed over towards a group of tables near the windows. “That empty booth is in Rose’s section tonight.” 

Kaydel grinned. “Thanks, Poe! You’re the best.” 

“Come eat dinner with us, Finn!” Rey urged. 

“If I must,” he replied with a teasing grin before turning back to Poe. “Send my usual over too.” 

Rose appeared with a tray of drinks a few moments after they had taken their seats in the spacious booth. 

“I have three drinks for a beautiful woman, a hot mama, and an - according to my boss who threatened to make me clean the grease trap if I didn’t repeat this verbatim - amazingly talented and sexy lover,” she announced as she distributed the three glasses. 

“I’m sorry, my boyfriend is ridiculous,” Finn laughed. “Thanks, Rose.” 

“Yes, thank you, Rose,” Rey grinned. 

Kaydel took a sip of her drink. “I think you’re beautiful too, babe.” 

Rey watched as Rose blushed “Thanks, Kay,” she replied. “Are you guys ready to order or did you need to look at the menu?” 

“I think we all have the menu memorized by now,” Finn laughed. “I’ll have a Reuben sandwich.”

“Fish and Chips for me,” Rey added. 

“And I’ll have an order of chicken strips. Extra ranch on the side,” Kaydel grinned. 

Rose finished jotting down their requests. “I’ll get this to the kitchen and be right back,” she smiled. 

Does Finn know about your plans this weekend with Mr. Tall, Hot, and Grumpy?” Kaydel asked once Rose had left. 

“Umm _no_ ,” Finn replied before she could answer. “I was not aware, what plans are these now?” 

Rey groaned and shook her head. “He’s coming back to spend more time with his parents and the four of us are going on a sleigh ride together. It’s nothing to get excited about.”

“Just remember what we talked about,” Finn cautioned. “I‘m glad he is trying to mend things with his parents though.” 

Rey immediately felt defensive but swallowed back her reaction. “I will,” she promised. 

**

“How are you doing, dear?” Amilyn asked as she entered the exam room during her appointment the following afternoon. 

“I’m alright,” Rey answered honestly. 

“I just peeked at Jessika’s notes on your chart. Can you tell me more about your headaches?” The older woman asked as she sat on the rolling stool. 

“They started on Sunday. At first, it was just an uncomfortable pressure, but they’ve gradually become somewhat painful. I’ve taken Tylenol for the past couple of days and that’s been helping.” 

Amilyn nodded. “Headaches aren’t uncommon, but combined with a couple of other concerns I have, I would like to continue watching you closely.” 

“Concerns?” 

“There was another slight increase in protein in your urine, but still no infection to explain it. You also had a pretty significant weight gain from last week,” she explained. 

Rey had been surprised to see that she was nearly four pounds heavier on the scale when Jess had taken her weight earlier but chalked it up to the greasy pub meal she’d eaten for dinner the previous evening. 

“I did have Poe’s fish and chips last night,” she admitted with a smirk.

“That could do it,” Amilyn agreed. “Are you noticing any swelling though?” 

She glanced down at her feet. “Maybe a tiny bit in my feet and ankles, could that be from standing often at work?” 

“Possibly,” Amilyn replied. “However, I still want to err on the side of caution and continue to monitor you for signs of preeclampsia.” 

Rey frowned. “Doesn't that involve high blood pressure? Mine has been fine.” 

“It is, and typically we see blood pressure start rising at the beginning - so I am perplexed at the presence of these other symptoms without a noticeable change there,” Amilyn explained. “I want you to pick up a home blood pressure monitor and use it a few times a day; note any major changes and call me immediately if it starts consistently rising. I also want you to let me know if your headaches worsen, or you notice a major increase in swelling. Hopefully, this is all just a coincidence of symptoms, but better safe than sorry.” 

“Okay,” Rey answered quietly, suddenly feeling the anxiety of the potential complications she might be facing. 

“You’re going to be fine, dear, we are monitoring everything closely and you are well past the point of viability should things take a sudden turn and you need to deliver early.” 

She wrapped her hand protectively over her stomach. “Would she be alright if she came early?” 

Amilyn reached out and squeezed her hand. “She would likely need a little assistance in the NICU at first, but she has very good odds of being perfectly healthy at this stage. Why don’t we ease your fears and do a quick scan - it will let me see how her growth looks too so I know for my own records.” 

Rey smiled and wiped her eyes. “I would love that.” 

Twenty minutes later she was lying on a table in the ultrasound room as the tech lathered blue jelly onto the wand and pressed it to her skin. Amilyn stood nearby watching the screen as the jumbled image appeared. 

“There she is,” the tech murmured as she pushed the wand gently against Rey’s stomach, moving slowly across her abdomen to find the perfect angle. “Her legs are up here so she’s head down which is perfect, see her feet?” 

Rey nodded as the tech panned over the tiny crossed ankles and her folded up legs. “She’s so much bigger than she was at my last ultrasound.” 

“I’m going to grab her femur measurement while I’m here and then we’ll see if we can’t get a good look at her head and profile,” the tech explained as she clicked on the screen, using a tool to measure the length. “62 millimeters, about the 67th percentile, perfect.” 

A measurement of the abdominal circumference was next, 267 millimeters, and just above the 20th percentile. Rey smiled as the tech hovered over the heart for a few moments, turning on the Doppler to hear the heart rate - a perfect 144 beats per minute. 

“And here’s her sweet little profile.” 

Rey smiled widely at the round head and cute little nose. A tiny fist flailed by her face as her mouth opened and closed. 

“I see hair,” Amilyn grinned as the tech took more measurements. 

“Leia’s old wives tale about heartburn must be true then,” Rey laughed. “She said she had a ton with her son and he was born with a full head of hair.” 

“He was,” Amilyn confirmed. “I was still in med school at the University of Washington when he was born. Leia called when she went into labor and asked me to come to the hospital because Han was of absolutely no help and she needed support. She’s lucky her labor was nearly 22 hours since I had to make it over the pass in the middle of November. It was actually watching Ben’s birth that solidified my decision to go for obstetrics.” 

“Alright,” the tech interrupted gently. “Everything looks perfect! She seems to be taking after you, mom, long and lean. I have her estimated weight at just under 4lbs - right at the 40th percentile. Her organs all look fantastic, amniotic fluid levels are normal, and her position is optimal. I don’t see anything to worry about.” 

Rey breathed out a sigh of relief and grinned at Amilyn. 

  
**  
  


That evening she sat on the couch with Leia, gushing over the ultrasound photos they had printed for her. A shot of her profile, and another of her little feet, and a third that was close up of the top of her head with arrows pointing to the wispy hair. Leia laughed when Rey showed her and mentioned Amilyn sharing her story about Ben’s birth. 

“Oh god, Han was a mess, it’s a miracle he stayed conscious for the delivery,” Leia snorted. 

“Hey!” Han called from the next room. “I was not that bad.” 

“Of course you weren’t, dear,” Leia replied before lowering her voice. “He was pretty bad.” 

Rey giggled. “Can I put these up on the fridge?” She asked as she gathered up the photos. 

“Yes, please!” Leia grinned. “I’m so glad she looks so healthy, and Amilyn is taking great care of you both. Everything is going to be fine.” 

****

“Ren!” 

Kylo froze in his tracks at the sound of Snoke’s voice. 

“Did you need something, sir?” he asked as he turned to see his boss stalking down the hallway towards him. “I was heading home for the weekend.” 

Snoke didn’t need to know which _home_ he was talking about. 

“I just reviewed the latest project that the software development team is working on, and it’s shit,” he growled. “You’re supposed to be overseeing every step of the way. Care to explain how so many amateur mistakes have slipped through under your watch?” 

Kylo felt his jaw twitch as he attempted to keep his temper under control. “With all due respect, sir, the project is only in the first phase of development and I have not begun my evaluations yet. My team has until Monday before I begin,” he explained calmly. 

The project in question had begun the week before and was following all the proper procedures and timelines. Snoke was clearly stirring the pot to bring up more trouble, and Kylo wasn’t going to let him win. 

“Be that as it may, I expect more from you and your team,” Snoke replied. “I didn’t handpick and mentor you into greatness for you to start getting sloppy. Remember who made you Kylo Ren.” 

Kylo swallowed and gave a slight nod. “My apologies, sir, I will make sure the project is looked over and corrections made as soon as possible.” 

“Tonight, Ren!” Snoke demanded and then turned and walked off in the opposite direction. 

With a sigh, Kylo stepped back into his office and slipped out of his suit jacket before sitting down to turn on his computer. Placing his head in his hands, he willed himself not to throw the orb-shaped paperweight on his desk as he waited for the system to load. 

*

“There you are! I was expecting you earlier,” Leia greeted him with a smile as he stepped inside the entryway of their house the following afternoon. 

“Snoke demanded I finish reviewing a project at the end of the day yesterday, I was at the office until almost three this morning.” 

His mother raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’m glad you are working on getting out of there,” she replied. “The sleigh ride reservation is in an hour, Rey is upstairs and your father should be home from the shop at any moment.” 

“I wanted to know if you and Dad wouldn’t mind…” Kylo stopped and looked at her nervously. He’d thought of an idea earlier in the week, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask and risk opening up the can of worms that would inevitably follow. 

Leia noticed the expression on his face before he could decide and smiled wildly as she finished his question for him. “Coming up with a reason we couldn’t go so you could take Rey on a date?” 

“Not a date, I just want to get to know her better,” he mumbled. 

“Uh-huh,” she kept grinning. “Your father hates those sleigh rides anyway, you two go and enjoy some time together.” 

The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived at the location for Hoth Family Sleigh Rides. Kylo parked his car in the adjacent lot and quickly hopped out, hustling around to the passenger side to help Rey out of her seat. His breath hitched at the brilliant smile she gave him as he gently took her arm and guided her to the ground. Keeping hold of her elbow, they walked across the icy parking lot and into the small building to check-in for their reservation. 

“Thank you so much for this,” Rey grinned up at him as they waited for their turn. “I’m surprised your parents didn’t want to join us.” 

He wasn’t about to tell her that he’d asked his parents if he could take her alone. 

“I don’t think this is really my dad’s sort of thing,” he chuckled. “Besides, I’m kind of glad to have a little bit of time to know you better.”

He watched as Rey blushed and bit her lip. “Me too.”

“Kylo Ren, party of two?” A man’s voice called from the doorway. “Your sleigh is ready if you both would follow me out back.” 

Extending his hand towards Rey, Kylo wrapped his fingers around hers and helped her stand before they walked outside, her hand still in his. They followed the man around the corner to the backside of the building where the horses and sleighs were waiting. 

“Oh, they’re so beautiful,” Rey gushed at the sight of the two Clydesdales tethered to the red sleigh. 

Taking their places on the bench, the man hopped into the driver’s spot and turned to smile at them. 

“I’m Rian, and I’ll be your driver tonight. Are you two celebrating anything in particular? A romantic getaway before a new addition, maybe?” He grinned. 

“Oh, no it’s -” Rey began. 

“We are,” Kylo cut her off, squeezing her hand as he leaned in to whisper, “It’s probably easier to just let him assume unless you’re not okay with that?.” 

She shook her head. “No, that’s fine.” 

“Fantastic!” Rian replied. “You’ll have to bring your little one back next winter, these rides are just as fun for families as they are for couples.” 

“We’ll definitely keep that in mind,” Rey grinned. 

Rian nodded and turned back to face the front of the sleigh, taking a hold of the reins and giving them a good tug. The horses immediately sprung into action, trotting forward as the sleigh began to move over the freshly packed snow. Making their way towards a wide trail between rows of towering trees, Kylo looked down at Rey who was eagerly watching the passing scenery. 

“Are you doing okay?” he asked.

She turned towards him and nodded with her brilliant smile. “More than okay, this is beautiful!” 

“I had a feeling you would appreciate it,” Kylo confessed. 

They rode in silence for a while with only the sounds of the tinkling bells attached to the sleigh, and the steady thump of the horses making their way through the winding forest path. The trail was lined with warm glowing lights strung along the fence posts and trees, illuminating their way in the fading evening light. 

Rey snuggled in closer to him as the motion of the sleigh caused a cold wind to blow at their faces and powdered snow kicked up all around them. 

“Are you doing okay?” he murmured in her ear the next time she shivered beside him. 

She glanced up at him and nodded with a smile. “Just a little cold, but I’ll be fine.” 

Rian turned around and grinned widely at the two of them. “There’s a blanket you two can snuggle underneath back there,” he inclined his head towards the brown throw. “Hold hands, cozy up, this is romantic!” 

Kylo reached for the blanket, draping it over Rey’s shoulders instead. “Is that better?” 

“It is, thank you,” she replied with a smile. 

“So when is the baby due?” Rian asked.

He felt Rey briefly stiffen next to him. “Uh, late January,” she answered after a moment. 

“I bet you two are really looking forward to becoming parents, there’s nothing like it,” Rian continued as he turned back towards the horses and continued driving the sleigh. 

“We are.” He wasn’t sure what possessed him to answer, but it slipped out of his mouth before he could think. 

Quickly, he glanced down at Rey who gave him an amused smirk. “You are?” she murmured teasingly in a soft voice. 

“Sorry,” he whispered back. “I thought it might seem strange if I didn’t say anything. Did I make you uncomfortable?” 

Rey laughed quietly and shook her head. “Not at all, you’re playing the part very well.” 

They continued along the snowy path, winding through the forest and then across an open field. A warm pink glow was cast over the snow as the sun continued to set. Kylo watched as Rey looked around in wonder, her wide eyes bright as she took in the passing scenery. She looked beautiful, her cheeks rosy from the cold and her smile as brilliant as the snow around them, and he knew he was quickly finding another reason to leave his job behind and return home again for good. 

“Would you like to go to the Wampa Cafe for hot cocoa after this?” he asked her quietly. 

She looked up at him and smiled. “I’d love to.” 

****

When they arrived back in town, Kylo led her into the small cafe, insisting she go take a seat while he grabbed their drinks. She found a table for two near the back and found herself watching him as he went to the counter to place their order. It had been a long time since she’d had feelings for anyone, and the timing couldn’t be more off to start developing them now. Especially for someone like him. 

“This should warm us up,” he grinned as he returned, placing a large mug of hot cocoa piled high with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. 

“Thank you,” she replied softly, taking a small sip of the beverage. 

He sat down across from her. “Are you still doing alright? I don’t want you to push yourself too much.” 

Rey shook her head in amusement. “I’m not _that_ pregnant. I still have several weeks left.” 

“I don’t know much about pregnancy to be honest,” he blushed. 

“It’s okay, I’m still learning too,” she laughed. “I’m due at the end of January which seems forever away and so close at the same time.” 

He regarded her with a serious expression for a moment. “I apologize if this is overstepping, but what happened with the father?” 

Rey swallowed and stared at her hot cocoa. “He’s not in the picture, it was a one-time thing.”

She wasn’t about to confess the entire story to Kylo. He was rich, successful, and put together - not the kind of guy who would go for the young knocked up girl who fucked a stranger in a club. 

“I’m sorry,” he offered quietly. 

“I have your parents, and my friends,” Rey replied. “This little girl is going to be _so_ loved. I know what it’s like to be abandoned and I refuse to let her think that for even one second of her life.” 

Kylo met her gaze with a concerned expression of his own. “I didn’t realize,” he began. 

Rey shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t remember much about my parents, or what happened. They died of a drug overdose when I was younger. I was passed around foster homes in Idaho until I was a teen and then they stuck me with this guy who ran a junkyard. He was a total creep, but the system didn’t care. I fixed up a car that had been dumped there and left right after I finished high school. Somehow I made it to just outside of Leavenworth before it died. Your dad found me, and then your parents took me in. I’m not sure where I’d be without them,” she told him softly. 

“I’m sorry, Rey, I don’t know what to say.” 

She smiled sadly. “It’s fine, I’ve been coming to terms with it as I’ve gotten older and found a family of my own.” 

“I admit that I have a different version of my parents in my head,” he confessed as he took a sip of his drink. “They were too busy for me when I was younger. Their businesses always came first.”

She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I do know that they regret that. They miss you, Kylo, and it means a lot to them that you’re back again.” 

“Yeah, well, we’ll see,” he answered somewhat dismissively. “It’s going to take some time to trust them again, but I think I’m ready to try.” 

“I understand,” Rey replied. 

He gave her an odd look and chuckled softly. “If you fixed up your own car to get here, how did you get roped into working at the hotel and not at the garage with my Dad and Chewie?” 

“Fuck. Don’t tell your Dad I told you that,” she groaned. “I might have told him that I just took the car, he has no idea I built it from practically nothing using junkyard parts and old books from the library. I was so embarrassed when it broke down, he took one look under the hood and said ‘ _who the hell put this piece of junk together?’_ I didn’t have the nerve to admit that it was me.” 

Kylo laughed. “He’d probably be damn impressed if he knew, and I bet he’d teach you everything.” 

Rey shrugged. “They’ve already done so much for me and I don’t mind working at the hotel,” she replied. “Maybe someday I’ll tell him.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their hot cocoa as she tried not to stare at him. When Kylo’s eyes did meet hers, Rey blushed and bit her lip. There was something about him that she couldn’t shake. He was familiar in a way that was hard to describe. 

He shifted awkwardly and pulled his phone from his pocket, glancing at the screen with a frown. 

“Shit, I need to go.” 

“You need to go now? Back to Seattle, I assume?” Rey asked. 

He nodded grimly. “My boss needs me to send him information about a project that I can’t access remotely.” 

“At seven on a Saturday evening?” 

“Would you believe me if I told you this was one of the least insane things he’s asked for recently?” Kylo let out a humorless laugh. 

“Why do you still work there?” she asked quietly. 

“I don’t know. I quit for a few months earlier this year, and I regret going back. My boss is - well, he doesn’t make anything easy,” he explained as he ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve been in contact with a family friend who works as a lawyer and he thinks we can build a good case in my favor, but Snoke isn’t going to let me resign without a fight.” 

Rey tilted her head to the side with a frown. “What did your boss do when you quit earlier though? If he let you leave once, why not again?” 

“Last time he said that he knew I’d be back when I walked out. I wanted to prove him wrong, but he was right,” Kylo let out a deep breath before he continued. “There was a night this past spring where I drank too much and blacked out in an alley behind a club. Snoke was still listed as my emergency contact and he was at the hospital when I woke up the next morning. He offered to take care of any legal ramifications if I returned to my job, so I did, and it was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. He’s made it clear on multiple occasions that he’ll destroy my reputation and my life if I try leaving again.” 

Rey snorted. “That doesn’t sound like a job, that sounds like a cult.” 

That’s putting it lightly,” he agreed. “I should probably get you back home and then head out. Snoke will be furious that I’m not responding but I can’t tell him where I am. He didn’t want me to come visit again.” 

“Isn’t he the one who arranged for your company party to be at The Alderaan?” 

“He knows how my relationship with my parents is, or was, and wanted to make things uncomfortable for me. I don’t think he was expecting us to reconcile.” 

She looked at him thoughtfully. “Take me home, Kylo, and then go back over to Seattle and quit your job and come back to be with your family.” 

“I’d really like that,” he agreed. “Oh, and Rey?” 

“Yes?” 

“I think I’d like it if you called me Ben.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that helped inspire the fic title (I took a spin on the lyrics from the song "Sleigh Ride"...just take that road before us and sing a chorus or two...
> 
> Did you like the cameo? Spot any subtle-ish TLJ references too? Those were fun.
> 
> SO. MANY. HINTS. Am I driving you all crazy yet? I promise the reveal is soon! I really enjoyed writing the convo between the two of them at the end, they both have a lot of questions...so I hope you all got some answers out of them you may have been wondering about. I'm trying not to info dump too much and gradually release more and more bits of info and backstory.
> 
> Snoke ruining things again. I can't wait until he gets what is coming to him. 
> 
> We'll get Ben's thoughts on why he decided to stop going by Kylo at the beginning of the next chapter - but other than Snoke and other First Order employees calling him Kylo - for the remainder of the fic he's now Ben.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Complications and solutions arise with both Ben's work and Rey's pregnancy before they are able to see each other again the following weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, as always, for reading! 
> 
> Two doctor visits this chapter, both marked with the ** on either end of the section

* * *

  
The trip back to Seattle took nearly three and a half hours. 

Saturday evening holiday traffic and snowy conditions over the pass led to a frustratingly slow crawl for miles. Ben tried not to think about how angry Snoke was going to be when he finally replied. He arrived back at his apartment just after eleven, located the requested file on his company laptop, and sent it to his boss. 

With a deep sigh, he pulled his cell from his pocket and glanced at the screen to find a dozen ignored calls and texts waiting for him. Opening the latest message, which was full of profanities and threats, Ben wrote a brief note to let Snoke know that the file should be waiting in his inbox. 

His phone rang a moment later. 

“Care to tell me _why_ it took you nearly four hours to obey my request, Kylo?” Snoke spoke as soon as he answered. 

“I apologize, sir, I was asleep and my volume was inadvertently left off,” Ben lied smoothly. 

A disbelieving bark of laughter followed. “Sleeping at seven on a Saturday evening? Your lies are as pathetic as you are. I hope whatever whore you paid for a little entertainment was worth the further fifteen percent reduction on your bonus. I expect you in the office tomorrow morning at eight sharp, I’ll have an extra project for you to complete before the week begins.” 

Ben swallowed. “I understand.” He wasn’t about to give Snoke another reason to punish him further. 

“You better,” the man growled and the line went dead. 

Opening a new text, Ben found Rey’s number in his contacts from where she had added it to his phone before he left Leavenworth earlier that evening. 

_Ben: I made it home safe_

A response came a few moments later. 

**Rey: Oh good. Thanks for letting me know. Was your boss pretty upset?**

_Ben: You could say that..._

**Rey: I hate him for you. I’m glad you are getting out of there soon**

_Ben: I hope so_

_Ben: I’ll let you get to bed. I had a great time with you today, Rey_

**Rey: I had a great time as well, Ben. Get some sleep too**

_Ben: Goodnight_

**Rey: Night :)**

Much to Ben’s relief, Snoke was not present at the office the next morning, but as promised, he’d left instructions for a project that would take him several hours to complete. The task was one that would have normally been assigned to an entry-level employee. However, after looking over the details a bit further, a small smile spread across his face as he remembered his earlier conversation with Lando. 

_“I’ve been working with your Uncle to fight against Snoke for years now. He’s undoubtedly engaging in illegal practices to target and take down smaller companies, but I’ve never been able to gather enough evidence to prove anything. We’ve only been able to keep Snoke from hurting Skywalker Systems. If you can, we’ll not only be able to get you out and make sure Luke’s company isn’t hurt - but we may also have a good chance to take down Gideon Snoke as well.”_

The work he’d been assigned would require him to look at files he didn’t usually access and he’d be able to do some digging around without raising too many red flags. It was almost _too_ perfect. 

Three hours later, he’d cautiously scanned through a large section of the database, completing the tasks for Snoke, while looking for anything suspicious, and hadn’t come up with much. Nearly half-way finished with the project, he pushed forward, opening the next set of files. There, at the bottom, he found something that didn’t belong. Another folder was nestled within a random folder without a title. Ben clicked on the icon and discovered a shortlist of documents. After scanning through the first two, it didn’t take long for him to realize he’d found something big. 

One file led to another, and he began to dig deeper - locating over a dozen various unmarked hidden folders hidden in the most innocuous places. The documents contained evidence of blackmail and fraud towards many of the companies he knew the First Order had bought out or attempted to buy out - his Uncle’s company included. 

Quickly, he found an old flash drive in his desk drawer and saved as many copies of the files as he could. There had to be a reason these documents had been scattered around like this, Snoke wasn’t careless enough to leave them randomly placed within other folders. Somebody else had to have put them there. 

There would be time to figure out who later. Right now, he knew he had to act fast. Snoke would undoubtedly notice the date the files were last accessed and confront him. Saving his work on the project and shutting down the computer, he put his coat on and grabbed the flash drive before rushing out of the office. 

“Ben?” Lando smiled widely as he opened the front door to his Lake Washington waterfront home. “What a surprise! Come in!” 

Ben nodded and stepped into the grand entryway. “Sorry to drop in like this.” 

Lando snorted. “I’ve been hoping you’d drop by for ten years, kid, you shut all of us out when you started working for that asshole.” 

“I know,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to fix things.” 

Patting him on the back, Lando gave him a questioning glance. “Your mother didn’t seem too happy you had to cut out early this weekend for Snoke, what’s going on there?” He asked. 

Ben pulled out the flash drive and gave it to the older man. “That’s why I’m here, actually. Snoke wasn’t thrilled that I took too long to get back to him last night and punished me with extra work today. I found some files that may be of interest buried in various folders.” 

“Let’s go to my office and give these a look,” Lando grinned before motioning for Ben to follow him down the hallway. 

  
  


Standing behind Lando’s desk chair, Ben watched as he plugged in the flash drive and began opening the files. 

“Pretty damning evidence, right?” he asked after the older man had scanned through a few.

Lando let out a low whistle. “No shit, and you just found these in random folders?”

“I found the first one in a folder that I was getting information out of for the project I was working on, the others I dug around for - but it was the same story every time, an unlabeled folder nestled within another folder. I’m wondering if someone else intentionally put them there.”

“Do you think there’s someone at the company trying to leave breadcrumbs?” Lando asked. 

“I think it’s possible, especially since none of the files were encoded. Snoke wouldn’t be this careless, but I can’t think of anyone high enough up in his circle who would betray him. Hux and Pryde have most of his trust and they’re pretty far up his ass.” 

Lando chuckled. “This is exactly the kind of thing that will help this case tremendously.”

“Hopefully,” Ben agreed. “I don’t know how much more I’ll be able to help, if Snoke happens to check those folders and see the date last accessed, he’ll narrow my involvement down really quickly. There’s hardly anyone in the office today, and no one else who would be accessing files in those folders.”

“Well, I appreciate you bringing these copies to me, and these alone should be enough, but if you do find anything else -”

“I’ll try and get whatever I can to you right away,” Ben finished. “I need to get back and finish this project.”

“Alright, Benny,” Lando grinned. “Let’s meet up for dinner, steak and whiskey at Naboo on me - let me know when you have a free evening on your schedule. And call your mother!” 

****

“You need to call Amilyn, dear, these headaches aren’t normal.” 

Rey felt Leia’s hand on her back as she curled into a ball on the couch on Sunday evening. The throbbing pain and pressure in her head had increased in intensity to the point that even over the counter medication wasn’t helping to ease the pain. 

“My appointment is later this week, I’ll be fine.” Rey protested. 

“Your appointment isn’t until Friday, and Amilyn wouldn’t want to hear that you’ve been ignoring a crucial symptom that long. If you don’t call her, I will,” Leia replied firmly. 

She sat up at the older woman’s no-nonsense tone and nodded. “Alright.” 

**

As Leia predicted, Amilyn was glad Rey had called and immediately asked them to meet her at the clinic. Leia drove her and the two arrived to find Amilyn opening the front door. 

“I realized that I probably could have made a house call,” Amilyn smiled as she motioned for the two of them to follow her inside the small building. 

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want you to go to that trouble. Thanks for seeing me tonight,” Rey replied. “I’m so sorry to bother you on the weekend.” 

“You have _nothing_ to be sorry for, I would have given you a lecture If you waited until Friday,” Amilyn told her firmly. 

“I threatened to call if she didn’t,” Leia added before turning to Rey. “I can wait out here dear.” 

Rey smiled and shook her head. “I'd really like it if you were there, please.” 

A brief exam revealed that her blood pressure was still normal, but she had gained two more pounds since her last appointment and there was even more noticeable swelling in her extremities. 

“I could run a urinalysis tonight as well, but since you’re already scheduled for an appointment on Friday, we’ll check on your protein then and go from there. I’ll prescribe you something a bit stronger for the headaches in the meantime.” 

“And that’s safe for the baby?” Rey asked. 

Amilyn nodded. “Of course. I’ll call this into the pharmacy for you to pick up in the morning, unfortunately, there isn’t anything I can give you for tonight. Take it easy, drink lots of water, the usual instructions.” 

“Thank you,” Rey smiled. 

“Should we take a quick listen to her heartbeat while we’re here?” Amilyn reached into a drawer and pulled out the handheld fetal Doppler. 

Rey didn’t think that hearing the steady rhythmic whoosh would ever get old. 

**  
  
  


The next morning, she stopped by the pharmacy on her way to work and picked up her prescription, taking the first dose with a smoothie and muffin she bought at the cafe across the street. Her relief was nearly instantaneous as the pain medication seemed to erase most of the pain and pressure as soon as it took effect. 

Arriving at the hotel, she headed for the back office and put her things away, before taking a moment to check-in with Ben. They’d texted a bit the night before, but the intensity of her headache had made it difficult to do anything but lie in a dark room with an icepack on her head. 

_Rey: How is your day going?_

**Ben: Fairly uneventful, thankfully. I discovered some important information yesterday, and I thought for sure Snoke would figure out I was snooping by now - but he hasn’t.**

**Ben: How are you feeling?**

_Rey: Not too bad, I picked up my prescription meds before I got to work and they’re already helping._

**Ben: Good. I’m sorry you’ve been in so much pain, I wish there was more I could do.**

_Rey: It’s alright. Are you going to come and visit this weekend? You kind of help make things better._

**Ben: Kind of?**

_Rey: Okay, definitely. You definitely make things better._

**Ben: Then yes, I suppose I’ll come.**

**Ben: (and by that, I mean I was definitely planning on coming back from the second I left on Saturday evening). I’m going to try and sneak out early Friday. Will you keep your dinner plans open for me?**

Rey grinned as she typed out her reply. 

_Rey: I have a doctor’s appointment at 5:00, but I’ll be available when that is finished. Does around 6:00 work?_

**Ben: Sounds perfect. I should probably get back to work, sweetheart, I need to make sure I have everything done so I can leave as early as possible on Friday.**

_Rey: I can’t wait to see you._

**Ben: Me too.**

The smile on her face widened. She could get used to someone calling her _sweetheart_.

“Tell me again why we thought this was a good idea?” Kaydel groaned as they pushed through the heavy crowds to get into the next store on a busy Wednesday evening. 

The topic of last-minute gift ideas had come up while they were eating dinner at the pub after work, and the two of them decided to hit the shops despite the week before Christmas chaos. Hundreds of people filled the stores and the street out front, mostly visitors from out of town enjoying their holiday vacation.

Rey turned around and made a face. “Because you want to buy the sweater for Rose that you saw earlier this week, and I want to surprise Ben with a box of the chocolates he mentioned craving in our conversation yesterday.” 

“You are so far gone for him, Rey, it’s adorable,” Kay grinned. 

“I could say the same about you and Rose,” Rey replied. “Look at us finding love at Christmas time, we’re _such_ a Hallmark movie.” 

Kaydel let out a laugh as they wandered further into the boutique, looking for the sweater that was modeled on the mannequin out front. 

“I have to admit I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that he’s the same guy we met at check-in,” she confessed. “I’m really glad he’s not the jerk we thought he was. Leia’s been so happy lately too, and I love that for her.” 

“Mmm, me too,” Rey agreed. 

“Found it!” Kaydel exclaimed as she spotted the bright red sweater, flipping through the sizes before plucking one from the middle of the rack. “That was easy.” 

Rey followed Kaydel to the cashier, but not before eyeing a scarf that would compliment the sweater perfectly and grabbing it off the display. “I wanted to get Rose something too, do you think she would like this?” 

“Of course,” Kaydel agreed. “It’s perfect. That’s so thoughtful of you.” 

“Well, she’s going to be at our party on Monday evening, and I only had a Starbucks gift card so far which seems so impersonal. Even though I know how much she loves frappuccinos.” 

Kay reached over and squeezed her hand as they took their place at the back of the line to pay. “She’ll love them both.” 

They wandered through the streets as they made their way down to Schocolat and entered the shop. Rey had learned that Ben didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but he used to make an exception for the amaretto truffle from the local chocolatier and decided to surprise him with a small box when he arrived the next day. 

“It’s probably a good thing that I don’t come in here very often,” Rey murmured as they waited for their turn to be served. “I’d always leave with at least a dozen.” 

“Me too,” Kaydel nodded. “There literally isn’t a flavor that I wouldn’t try in that case.” 

“Mmm,” Rey scrunched her nose. “Pass on the coconut, but I’m with you on the rest.” 

Kay scoffed. “Coconut is amazing, your loss,” she teased. 

With a dozen of Ben’s favorite chocolates neatly packaged in a ribbon wrapped box, they made their way back to the pub where their cars were still parked. Kaydel dropped her bag off in her trunk and turned to Rey. 

“I’m going to go back inside and wait at the bar until Rose gets off, her shift ends in an hour. Did you want to join me?” she asked. 

Rey shook her head. “Thanks for asking, but I need to get a few more gifts wrapped and I should probably go to bed early.” 

“Understandable,” Kaydel smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work then. Thanks for shopping with me!” 

“Same,” she replied before hugging her friend and heading to her car. 

Her Friday had taken one horrible turn after another. 

First, there was a mix-up with a reservation at the hotel and the guest had taken out their frustration on her, nearly causing her to break down and cry in the middle of the crowded lobby until Leia had stepped in and sent her to the back for a break.

Then, Ben had texted just after lunch that he wouldn’t be able to make it until much later than planned. Right as he was getting ready to leave early that afternoon, Snoke announced a last-minute meeting, demanding his attendance. 

**

The only positive was that things seemed to be improving a little when she had her thirty-four-week appointment after work. The protein in her urine was still higher than normal, but there hadn’t been an increase over the previous week and her blood pressure was still perfect. Additionally, her weight had gone down a pound, and Amilyn noted that her swelling looked much better. 

“I still want to set you up with an ultrasound next week just to check on her growth and your fluid levels, but it’s promising that you’re looking a bit better - or at least not rapidly getting worse. I’m also thrilled that the medication is helping, but let me know if there are any changes.” She explained. 

“Alright,” Rey replied.

“Do you have any other questions for me?” Amilyn asked.

She shook her head. “I think I’m good.” 

Amilyn patted her hand. “Well, you know how to get in touch with me,” she reminded her. “Take it easy tonight, you’ve had a busy week and I know next week is going to be chaotic as well.” 

“I will,” she promised. 

**  
  
  


“I’m supposed to make sure you have a relaxing evening,” Leia called as Rey entered through the front door. 

“Amilyn?” Rey asked with a smile. 

Leia emerged from the kitchen and nodded. “I’m making your favorite meal and a batch of cookies. I thought you and I could sit on the couch and watch Hallmark movies or whatever else you wanted tonight. Lord knows we both need to chill after today at the hotel, are you doing alright after earlier? That guest was completely out of line, I hope you know that.” 

Rey nodded. “It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.”

“Still,” Leia continued. “I let them know that I don’t appreciate them treating my staff like that when the situation was completely out of your control.” 

“Thank you,” Rey murmured. 

“Go get what you need to be lazy and find us something ridiculous to watch, I’ll bring dinner out on TV trays.” 

The room was dimly lit with Christmas lights, the glow of the fireplace, and the movie playing on TV. Rey sat beside Leia on the couch, their plates empty from the flank steak and rosemary seasoned baby potatoes they’d enjoyed for dinner. She had picked out _A December Bride_ from the on-demand menu, the fake dating or engagement trope was one of her favorites and it was one that neither she nor Leia had seen before. 

After the movie finished, they had just started watching an episode of the Holiday Baking Championship when the front door opened later that evening and heavy footsteps sounded in the entryway. 

“Han? I thought you planned to be out late with Chewie and the guys,” Leia called. The two men often played poker with a few other locals on Friday evenings. 

“Not Han,” Ben’s voice sounded as he entered the room. He was still wearing his work clothes and had a smile on his face. 

“You made it,” Rey grinned. “I thought you might be in that meeting until after Christmas.”

Ben groaned and came to sit in the armchair beside the couch. “I’m pretty sure Snoke would have kept us that long if he could. Thankfully, our COO was slightly less of a pretentious asshole today and convinced him to let us out just before six. I left straight from work to come here.” 

Leia let out an exasperated sigh. “Do I want to know how fast you were driving on icy roads?” 

“Probably not,” he laughed. “What have you two been up to?”

“We just finished a Hallmark movie, and have moved onto holiday baking competitions,” Rey replied with a grin. 

“Ben, dear, there’s still more steak and potatoes - I put the leftovers in the fridge if you wanted to heat a plate and come join us,” Leia added. 

“Let me put my bag upstairs in the office, and I’ll do that, thanks,” he replied with a nod before disappearing back into the entryway. 

“I’m glad you made it,” she whispered as he moved to sit beside her after Leia had gone up to bed. 

“I had to come as soon as I could,” he replied softly. “You’re all I’ve been able to think about this week, even with the Snoke drama.” 

“He still hasn’t mentioned noticing you’d accessed the files?” Rey asked. 

Ben shook his head. “Not yet. Lando texted me this afternoon to let me know he’d been in contact with a few key people and they are going to break the case on Monday,” he explained. “I considered resigning before the meeting this afternoon, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t look good to quit right before everything hits the fan.” 

“You’re probably right,” Rey nodded. “Want to watch another movie with me? I’m not ready to get off the couch yet.”

“I’d love to, what did you have in mind?” He replied.

“Something classic? Newer? More Hallmark?” She smirked as she returned to the on-screen menu.

“Can’t say I’m much of a Hallmark fan, but anything else will do,” Ben answered. 

Rey scrolled through the guide, looking for Christmas titles before finding a familiar favorite. “Oh! _Love, Actually_ starts in ten minutes, is that alright? Or is it too cheesy?” 

“I haven’t seen it,” he admitted. “What’s it about?” 

“It’s a bunch of interconnected stories, it’s a romantic comedy mostly. The cast is basically a who’s who of British movie stars. Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kiera Knightley -”

“Kiera Knightley, say no more,” he laughed before clearing his throat and shrugging dismissively. “I mean, I guess it sounds alright.” 

Rey rolled her eyes and selected the channel. “Uh-huh, I saw the way your eyes lit up at her name.”

Ben sat beside her on the couch, keeping about a foot of distance between them and Rey found herself wishing they were closer. He smelled amazing, the faint trace of his cologne, fresh soap, and something so uniquely him. It was almost recognizable, but she couldn’t place the scent. 

Putting her hand in the space between them, she looked over to find him staring back at her. His eyes dropped to where her hand lay, and he covered it with his own, wrapping his fingers around hers. Rey leaned in towards him until her head rested against his shoulder and she sighed. 

“Can I kiss you, Rey?” he asked softly.

Tilting her chin up towards his face, she nodded, closing her eyes as his soft lips met her own. His hand cupped her jaw as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in her mouth. She could feel her body melting against him as he let go of her hand to wrap his free arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him, as best he could with her bump in the way. 

“Wait, Ben,” she stopped him as she felt her stomach press against him. “You can’t possibly want me like this, I’m -” 

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he finished for her. “It doesn't bother me that you’re pregnant, Rey. I think you are amazing and I’d really like to show you how much you mean to me. This is more than just physical, sweetheart.”

Rey closed her eyes and swallowed. “What about her?” she asked as she placed her hand on her stomach. “I can’t begin a relationship with someone who isn’t ready to commit to both of us, one hundred percent.” 

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t ready and willing to be part of her life too,” he promised. “We can take it slow as you need, I’m not going anywhere.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?” she questioned nervously. 

“What if it does?” he countered. “I _want_ this to work, for all of us.” 

His hand gently touched the swell of her stomach and she felt a sob rise in her throat. 

“I really want to try too,” she agreed shakily. “But -“ 

“But?” 

“You still live so far away,” she whispered. 

Ben chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Even after Snoke is taken down, I don’t plan on staying at First Order. I haven’t been happy there for a long time. I’m going to sell my place in the city and move back over here as soon as possible. I have money set aside, more than enough to live off of for the rest of my life and beyond,” he explained. “I love what I do for my job, just not for First Order. I’m sure something else will come along eventually.” 

She reached up and ran her hand through his hair. “Your parents are going to be thrilled to have you home, Ben.”

He kissed her again, passionately and intensely before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers. “And you?” 

“I think I’ll be pretty happy to have you around more too,” she agreed. 

“Good,” he replied. 

“Oh! She jumped off the couch and walked over to the side table where she’d placed his box of chocolates. “I got you a little something.”

Handing him the brown paper wrapped box with the red ribbon, he looked at her curiously before ripping it away and revealing the sweets beneath. “You got me chocolates?” he grinned. 

“You mentioned you were craving them earlier this week, and well, I _definitely_ understand the importance of cravings. I thought you might want some when you got here,” she explained with a shy smile. 

“You’re too good for me,” he whispered, setting the box on the table and pulling her back into his arms for another kiss. 

Rey settled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

He’d have to see the rest of _Love, Actually_ another time. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that I am completely pulling this whole First Order/Snoke work scandal out of my insane imagination. Snoke is the President/CEO, Hux is the COO, and Pryde is CFO. Ben is the executive VP of software engineering (or development) - he's basically a major tech genius who oversees the creation of their software, so I didn't think he'd have much access to the business/financial side of things (or at least it would be easy to hide from him). Snoke gave him some inane file organization task to do as a punishment, and we'll definitely find out how those hidden files ended up exactly where Ben was going to see them later ;-) 
> 
> I know you are probably all about to chase me down with pitchforks and torches for yet another frustratingly close chapter, sorry! Now it's coming really, really, REALLY, soon...and that's all I'm going to say. 
> 
> We're definitely heading towards resolving some major plot points before we move closer to the other big part of the story! There's a lot more to cover about their thoughts and feelings, but I'm trying to pace everything out and have certain things saved for later conversations and chapters. 
> 
> Future fic Easter egg alert - the movie Rey and Leia watch, A December Bride, is the movie my other holiday fic is based on (the first chapter posts on 12/21 for a Hallmark Holiday movie exchange I'm apart of!) 
> 
> Keep the comments coming, they give me so much motivation to get these chapters edited and posted quickly for you. I have chapter seven in the finishing stages and plan to have that up tomorrow evening!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where a lot of important conversations are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few new tags, we earn our E rating a bit more here ;-) 
> 
> Thanks, as always, for reading!

* * *

  
“Hey, Kid.” 

Ben startled at his father’s gruff voice as he entered the kitchen the next morning. 

“Shit, Dad, I didn’t think anyone was up yet,” he sighed. 

Han set his coffee mug down and shrugged. “I’ve only been up for about twenty minutes,” he replied. “I need to go into the shop for a bit this morning and finish working on a couple of cars. Your mother wants me home this afternoon, something about spending time together as a family.” 

“Yeah, she mentioned that before she went to bed last night,” he nodded before heading to the cabinet and grabbing a mug. “Mind if I have some?” 

“Go for it,” his Dad waved a hand. “I can always make more at work.” 

“Thanks,” Ben said as he poured the hot liquid into the cup. 

Han crossed the room and placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “It’s good to have you back, son.”

“I’m sorry it took so long to get my head out of my ass, if I had tried reaching out to you and mom earlier I would’ve known about all the stuff with Snoke years ago,” he said quietly. “I want to make things right, and I don’t know how.” 

“There’s nothing to make right, kid, your mother and I are thrilled to have you back. It’s really all that matters,” his Dad assured him. “Come sit down, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about before the ladies wake up.” 

He followed his father across the kitchen to the small breakfast nook and sat down at the wooden table there. Han took a seat in the chair opposite him and sighed before he began to chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. 

“What’s going on?” Ben asked. 

“I can’t say I ever thought I’d be giving my son the _don’t break her heart or else_ talk about the girl I consider my daughter,” he snorted. “Your mother and I aren’t blind, kid, we know you have feelings for Rey.” 

He rolled his eyes at his father and took a long sip of coffee. “I won’t hurt her, I promise.” 

Han looked at him seriously. “And you’re ready to take on everything she comes with?” 

“I told her as much last night,” he replied. “I’m going to move back here as soon as I can get out of my job at First Order, I want to help her with the baby and get to know her better. I’ve never met anyone like her.” 

“Rey is pretty special,” Han agreed. “I’m proud of you, Ben, and I know your mother is thrilled about the developing relationship between you two.” 

“Mom certainly hasn’t been subtle about it,” he laughed. “Thanks, Dad.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments, finishing their mugs of coffee. Han cleared his throat and began to stand. 

“I’ll still kick your ass if you break her heart,” he grinned as he walked over and put his mug in the sink. “When your mother wakes up, tell her I’ll be back no later than one this afternoon.”

Ben shook his head in amusement. “Alright.” 

“Good,” Han smiled. “Oh, and Rey likes pancakes and bacon for breakfast,” he added before disappearing into the next room. 

Forty-five minutes later he’d finished making half a dozen large pancakes and was getting started on the bacon when his mother walked into the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. 

“I thought I could smell someone cooking down here.” She walked over to hug him and peered at the stovetop. “Pancakes and bacon, huh?” 

“Dad said it was Rey’s favorite breakfast,” he blushed. 

Leia smiled knowingly. “It is,” she confirmed. “Did he already leave for the shop?” 

“Almost an hour ago, he told me to let you know he’d be home by one this afternoon.”

“I keep trying to get him to hire more mechanics to cover the whole weekend so he can take both days off, but he insists on being there at least six days a week,” she rolled her eyes. “Though I suppose I can’t say much, I used to be the same at the hotel.” 

He looked down at the pan and flipped over the bacon. “Yeah, I know.” 

His mother sighed and placed her hand on his arm. “That wasn’t fair to you growing up,” she said quietly. “Your father and I have talked about it a lot in the last ten years, how much we regret throwing ourselves into our businesses and thinking you’d be okay to just fend for yourself. It was a huge mistake, and Ben, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. How sorry we both are.” 

Ben looked over at her and nodded. “I’ve resented you and Dad for a long time.” 

“I know,” Leia replied. 

He finished cooking the bacon and turned the burner off before setting the pan on the marble counter. Unsure of what to say next, he busied himself with preparing the three plates of food as his mother silently assisted. 

“Thanks,” he whispered once they were finished. “I’m sorry too, you know. I told Dad this morning that I can’t stop thinking about what things would’ve been like had I talked to you both years ago and found out everything then.” 

“What’s done is done,” Leia replied dismissively. 

Ben didn’t get a chance to reply as Rey walked into the kitchen dressed in a long-sleeved tee and plaid pajama pants. Her brown hair was piled haphazardly in a bun on the top of her head, and he smiled at the way she yawned adorably before glancing up to see them both smiling at her. 

“Morning,” she greeted them. “I smell bacon.” 

“Han told Ben what you liked for breakfast,” Leia informed her with a grin. “Go sit down and I’ll bring you your plate. Did you want anything to drink? Coffee, orange juice, water?” 

“Coffee,” she answered. “And orange juice.” 

“I’ll get it,” Ben added. “Mom, coffee for you?” 

Leia nodded as she picked up two of the plates and followed Rey to the table. 

  
  


His mother’s plans for family time that afternoon consisted of baking and watching another Christmas movie. The four of them gathered around the kitchen island, laughing and talking over the holiday music played in the background, while they decorated gingerbread men. His father and Rey got into a competition to see who could make the most ridiculous looking one, creating a huge mess of frosting in the process. 

Ben couldn’t help but watch the way she glowed when she laughed, or the way she scrunched her nose in concentration while piping borders and designs with the white icing. He loved the way she smiled, especially the way she smiled at him. 

After their cookies were done and the kitchen cleaned up, they gathered in the living room and watched Home Alone. It had been his favorite movie as a kid, and Rey had only seen it a couple of times before. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d watched Kevin McCallister’s antics but quickly found himself laughing along with the familiar scenes and quoting along with his favorite lines. 

It was the kind of day that Kylo Ren would have hated. The pathetic family fluff that Snoke had convinced him was a waste of time. 

He’d been _so_ wrong.

“Are you sure they don’t mind if I come?” Ben asked as Rey dragged him into the local pub for dinner with her friends that evening. The Resistance as it was called now, under new ownership by Poe Dameron. They’d gone to high school together but he didn’t remember much about his former classmate, Poe had been wildly popular where Ben had been a bit of a loner and their social circles didn’t exactly connect. 

“They’ve been dying to meet you, I promise they don’t mind,” she assured him. “Come on, they’re my friends, and you’ve kind of already met Kaydel. You have nothing to worry about,” she assured him. 

Entering the dimly lit establishment, Rey led him to a booth near the back where two other girls and a guy sat. 

“Rey!” One of the girls squealed as they approached. 

“Ben, meet my friend Kaydel, her girlfriend Rose, and my best friend Finn - he’s Poe’s partner,” she looked around curiously. “Where is Poe?” 

“Still wrapping up at the bar, he’ll join us in a few,” Finn explained. “Ben, nice to meet you,” he stuck out his hand. 

Ben took Finn’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you as well.” 

Finn regarded him curiously for a moment, studying his face as if he was trying to figure out something. “There’s something really familiar about you, I could’ve sworn I’ve met you before,” he said with a shrug. “It’s probably because I’ve seen your picture in several tech magazines. Your work is really impressive.” 

“Oh, umm, thanks,” Ben replied. He’d never been good at accepting praise from other people, he was only used to passive-aggressive and backhanded comments from Snoke. 

“Hey, Solo, good to see you again,” Poe greeted them as he approached the table with a tray of drinks. “Rey mentioned you liked whiskey, so I hope you don’t mind if I picked from our selection. I think you’ll like this one though, on the house.” 

“Thanks, Dameron. It’s good to see you again as well,” he nodded and accepted the drink before sliding into the booth next to Rey as Poe distributed the other drinks and sat across from him beside Finn. 

The group settled into an easy conversation that soon splintered off into two groups. Poe and Finn were curious about his job and Finn eagerly picked his brain about the latest programs he was developing. Off to the side, he could hear the hushed whispers and giggles between Rey and the other girls. At one point their conversation grew loud enough for him to catch a few words that piqued his interest. 

“Fess up, Rey, how many times have you had to recharge the fainting goat this month?” Kaydel wiggled her eyebrows. 

Rey buried her face in her hands. “Not as many as you’re thinking,” she groaned. 

He caught Kaydel glancing over at him out of the corner of his eye and continued to listen. 

“Well,” she continued softly. “You could always ask him to _help_ , you know.” 

Ben waited to see how Rey would respond. 

“He wouldn’t want to,” she replied. “Can we change the subject please?” 

It wasn’t difficult to figure out what they were talking about and he leaned over to whisper in her ear. 

“Feel free to yell at me for eavesdropping, but I thought you should know that you’re wrong. I’m very, _very,_ interested.” 

Rey glared at Kaydel first before turning to look at him with a pink blush on her cheeks. 

“Really?” she asked softly. 

“Really,” he assured her before noticing the table had gone suspiciously quiet. “We’ll talk about this later, alright, sweetheart?” 

Rey smiled softly and nodded. “I’d like that.” 

The house was silent when they returned, the only light coming from a single lamp in the living room that his parents always left on. Holding Rey’s hand, he led her into the entryway where they shed their coats and boots before they quietly made their way upstairs. 

“Your room?” He asked. 

She bit her lip and nodded. “Seeing as the office shares a wall with your parent’s bedroom, that’s probably for the best.”

“Right,” he chuckled softly. 

He followed her inside the former guest room, watching as she crossed the darkened room and turned on a lamp beside the bed. Turning to face him, he noticed she looked apprehensive. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this, I mean - I know I did _it_ to get like this,” she laughed as she motioned to her belly. “I just don’t remember much about that particular time.” 

Ben nodded in understanding, she’d shared few details about the conception of her daughter but he’d gathered enough to know that it wasn’t with anyone she knew. 

“We don’t have to, sweetheart,” he assured her. 

Rey shook her head. “I want to, I really do.” 

“Alright,” he agreed. “I know we don’t have to worry about pregnancy, but I thought you should know that I haven’t been with anyone since the spring and I’ve been tested since then.” 

“Same here, no one since she was conceived and all the tests they ran at my first pregnancy appointments came back clear.”

She reached for the hem of the sweater she wore and pulled it over her head. Her breasts were encased in a plain cotton bralette and the leggings she wore extended up and over her belly. 

“I’m a little self-conscious about everything and I have some stretch marks, do you mind if I turn off the light?” she asked softly. 

“You’re gorgeous and stretch marks won’t bother me,” he promised. “But if it makes you more comfortable, I’m okay with whatever you decide.” 

He watched as she turned and flicked the lamp over, plunging the room back into darkness. A brief flicker of disappointment crossed his features as he could no longer see her beautiful figure. Pregnant women had never been a turn on to him before, but there was something about Rey’s body that had him thinking all sorts of naughty thoughts. 

The rustle of fabric followed as they both removed the rest of their garments. He could just barely make out her naked figure and stepped forward to close the gap between them. 

“Can I touch you?” she asked gently. 

“I was about to ask you the same,” he murmured. “Of course you can, as long as I get to return the favor.” 

Her small hand reached for his groin, finding his hardening erection and encircling his length. “Fuck, you feel huge,” she giggled. 

His cock sprang to life as she began to pump his shaft, her other hand sliding between his thighs to play with his balls. Before he could protest, she was on her knees on the carpeted floor, taking the head in her mouth. The immediate sensation of wet warmth had him groaning softly as she suckled at the tip before swirling her tongue around the head. 

“Rey, sweetheart, so good,” he panted. “Your mouth feels amazing.” 

She hummed around him, working her lips down his shaft, sucking against the sensitive flesh as she gripped the base of his cock. 

Ben let out another low moan. “Fuck, I’m going to come too fast like this and I want to be inside you.” 

He felt her pull her mouth away before she replied. “Alright.” 

He helped her stand and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Guiding her to the bed, he pulled her down onto her side and laid behind her in a spooning position. One hand lifted her top leg and the other found her center, tracing along her seam until he reached her clit. 

“Already so wet for me,” he murmured. “Is this position alright? I don’t want to hurt you.” 

She nodded and tilted her hips a bit as he slotted the head of his cock at her entrance before pushing forward. Placing one hand on her hip, he braced himself with his other arm behind her head and began to thrust gently. Her channel was tight and warm as he moved slowly in and out, building the tempo as her soft moans increased. 

“Faster, Ben, you feel so good,” she whimpered. 

Eager to oblige, he picked up the pace and began to fuck her steadily. Rey gasped as adjusted his position again, sliding one hand between her legs to rub at her clit. 

He wasn’t going to last long, and after several too-short minutes, he could already feel his climax building. 

“I’m close, sweetheart, I don’t know if I can hold off,” he grunted. “Can you come for me?” 

She nodded and mumbled a few incoherent words as she worked her clit even harder. He felt her cunt spasm around him as she came, thrusting into her a few more times before he followed. 

  
  


“Thank you,” she whispered. “That was amazing.” 

He gently withdrew his spent cock while keeping her back pressed against him, letting his hand reach around and cradle her pregnant belly. The taut skin was soft under his touch as he traced gentle circles on her stomach. 

“Does she move much?” he found himself asking. 

“Sometimes, she might be sleeping now though,” Rey replied as she began to shift away from him. “I’ll be right back, I need to use the bathroom. Will you stay here with me tonight?” 

Ben smiled at her request. “Of course.”

He listened in the darkness of the room as she opened and closed a few drawers, before hearing the rustle of fabric as she dressed and disappeared into the adjacent bathroom. Slipping out of bed, he gathered his clothes and pulled on his boxer briefs, and snuck across the hall to change into his own pajamas and brush his teeth. Rey was already in bed when he returned. 

“I had a good day today,” she mumbled as he curled up behind her, returning his hand to her stomach. 

“Me too, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. 

Her breathing slowed after that as she fell asleep against his chest. A few moments later, just as he was drifting off, the gentle nudge of a foot bumped against his hand and he smiled.

****

The bed was empty the next morning when she woke up with the throbbing pain of her headache. 

Sitting up, Rey looked around, finding no sign of Ben. Too distracted to think of where he might have gone, she reached for the water bottle and pack of crackers she kept on her nightstand, along with the prescription bottle in the top drawer. Taking a dose of medication with a few crackers and a large sip of water, she laid back against the pillow and waited. 

A moment later he emerged from the attached bathroom, wet from a shower and wearing a towel slung low on his hips. She closed her eyes and grinned at the relief she felt. It had been ridiculous to assume the worst. 

“You’re up,” he smiled softly. “I was going to surprise you with breakfast again.” 

“I can still act surprised,” she teased lightly. 

Ben turned to walk towards the bedroom door and she caught a glimpse at markings on his upper arm. The thick dark script was familiar in a way she couldn’t quite place, and she slipped out of bed to get a closer look. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked as she approached him with a look of confusion on her face. 

Rey grabbed his arm and read the quote tattooed across his bicep. _Let The Past Die._

Memories from the concert months ago suddenly came flooding back. A hazy glimpse of the tall and dark-haired man, the way he fucked her from behind, _that_ tattoo. It was him. She knew it had to be. 

“Oh my god,” she croaked. “Oh my _fucking_ god.” 

“It’s just a tattoo,” he replied, confusion etched across his features. 

She took a shaky breath and shook her head. “The Saurin, May 9th, the Max Rebo band was headlining. Were you there?” 

“Yeah,” he answered, his brows still pinched together. “Wait, why do you ask?” 

“It was you,” she whispered. “I bumped into you and you asked me to dance, and then we fucked in that back corner until Finn found us. You said you used a condom but -” 

“It broke, I didn’t notice until I went to clean up in the bathroom later,” he interrupted, his face going pale as he took a step back. “I have to go, I need a minute.” 

She watched as he left, shutting the door after him. Everything caught up to her at once and she collapsed back onto the bed, her head still pounding, as she curled onto her side and began to sob. 

A warm, solid, object pressed against her back when her eyes fluttered open again sometime later. Glancing at the clock, not even an hour had passed, and she quickly realized two things. First, her headache was gone, and second, she wasn’t alone. 

Rolling over, she came face to face with Ben.

“You left me,” she whispered. 

“I’m so sorry,” he kissed her forehead gently. “I panicked, that’s a really fucking shitty excuse but it’s the truth.” 

“Are you mad?” she asked. 

Ben shook his head and cradled her face in his hand. “How could I be mad? If anyone should be mad it’s you. I’m the completely irresponsible asshole who probably used an expired condom and then didn’t try and find you after I realized it had broken to let you know.” 

“I’ve always assumed something must have happened with it, but I’ve never blamed you.” 

“Then you can be mad at me for walking out on you just now.” 

Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore, that you didn’t want her.”

“Sweetheart, I meant it with all my heart Friday night when I told you that I wanted to take care of both of you and that was before I knew she was mine,” he assured her. “It never crossed my mind that you could’ve been the woman from that night, I was caught off guard and I needed a moment to process - but I should have stayed and let you know everything was okay.” 

“You came back though,” she murmured. 

Ben nodded. “Less than twenty minutes later, I promise, you’d already fallen back asleep and I didn’t want to wake you,” he explained before breaking out into a wide smile and placing his hand against her stomach. “You’re having my baby.“

Rey couldn’t help but return his grin. “I haven’t really processed it yet,” she admitted. “I accepted early on that I’d likely never know who her father was and that I’d be raising her as a single mom. Then you gave me hope that she might have someone who would become like a father to her, and now to find out you really _are_ her father? I don’t even know what to think.” 

“Me either,” he agreed. “We’ll figure it out together though.”

She snuggled against him, burying her face into his shirt, and began to cry again. “These aren’t sad tears, I promise, I’m just overwhelmed,” she sniffled. 

The sound of a door opening and shutting down the hallway caught their attention. 

“Should I go?” he asked.

Rey shook her head. “No, stay, they already know something is going on between us anyway.”

He reached down and wiped away the stray tears on her cheeks with his thumb. “My parents are going to flip when we tell them,” he chuckled softly. 

“Should we tell them this morning? Or wait until Christmas?” she asked with a mischievous smile. 

“Christmas,” Ben answered. “It’s only a few days away and I think we could use a few days to let everything sink in before everyone else knows.” 

Rey nodded, she’d been thinking along the same lines. “Christmas it is, I have an idea for a gift we can give them to announce the news - will you go shopping with me this afternoon?” 

“Of course,” he agreed. “But first, I believe I owe you breakfast.”

Han and Leia were wearing matching smirks when they walked into the kitchen. 

“Did you two sleep well?” Leia asked with raised an eyebrow. 

“So much for not being obvious about knowing they slept together last night,” Han snorted. 

Rey blushed furiously and buried her face in her hands. 

“Oh ignore us, you two are adults,” Leia replied. “Help yourself to coffee, I was just about to start breakfast.” 

The kitchen table was set with dishes and plates of French toast, eggs, fruit, and bacon. She sat beside Ben and across from Han and Leia as they eagerly filled their plates and began to eat. 

“How long are you staying today?” Leia asked Ben. 

“I wasn’t planning on driving back until later this evening,” he replied. 

“Oh good, your father and I want to take the two of you out for dinner tonight,” she smiled. 

“I was hoping to take Rey out for dinner since we missed our date on Friday night,” he began. 

“What if you and I did a lunch date instead while we are out shopping for that gift I was telling you about, and then we can meet up with your parents for dinner?” Rey suggested. 

Leia clapped her hands together. “That sounds like a perfect plan!” 

The main street of the town was packed with crowds, the weekend before Christmas was always the busiest with the influx of families visiting for their holiday break. The sledding hill was almost hidden by the swarm of kids running up and sliding down, their shrieks and cheers filling the air alongside the live music playing from a small brass ensemble at the nearby gazebo. 

They made their way up the row of shops, browsing the various knick-knacks and other touristy gimmicks they offered. 

“Hey Rey,” he called to her from across the gift shop they were browsing. “What do you think of this?” 

She crossed the store to see him standing in front of a ridiculously overstuffed moose and giggled. “It’s amazing!” 

“I thought so too,” he agreed and motioned towards her stomach. “She needs it.” 

“Naturally,” Rey replied, smiling as he cradled the stuffed animal in his arms.

“Is there anything else you need? Bottles? Diapers? I don’t really know what to buy but if you tell me I can make some calls.” 

“You’ve seen the nursery, there’s so much in there that I’ve already been given by your parents and other friends, I think we’re okay,” she assured him. 

Ben sighed. “I know, I just feel like I should do something.” 

Rey placed her hand on his arm and smiled. “You want to be here for her, that’s _everything_.” 

“Alright,” he agreed. “But you’ll let me know if you think of anything else?” 

“I will, I promise.” 

Her phone began to buzz in her pocket as they left the store after buying the moose. Rey pulled it from her pocket and saw Finn’s name on the screen. 

“It’s Finn,” she told him. “He never calls, do you mind if I take this?” 

“Not at all,” he assured her. 

She nodded and stepped away from the pedestrian traffic on the busy sidewalk. “Finn? Is everything okay?” 

“Rey, are you alone, we need to talk,” his voice sounded slightly panicked. 

“I’m shopping with Ben, is everything alright?” 

“Ben is that guy from the club, Rey, I knew he looked familiar last night and I thought it was - ”

“Finn,” she tried to get his attention but he kept talking. 

“ - because I’d seen his pictures in tech magazines but there was something else about him and it was driving me crazy all night. I just figured it out though and-”

“Hey, Finn!” 

Her voice was louder. Still no luck. 

“ - I had to call you and tell you, and I know this probably isn’t the best way to have just told you who the father of your baby is and -”

“Finn!” she yelled causing a few people passing by to stop and stare and Ben to glance over with a concerned look on his face, she motioned that everything was fine before continuing once she realized he’d finally gone silent. “First, breathe. Second, I already know.”

“You already know? When did you find out?” he demanded. 

She sighed. “This morning, I saw his tattoo. The one I remember from that night. We figured everything out from there.”

“And you’re okay with this?” Finn asked. 

“Of course I am, it’s the best-case scenario, truly,” she assured him. “Can you do me a huge favor though? We aren’t telling his parents until Christmas, we need a few more days to let it sink in. I need you to swear not to tell _anyone_ , even Poe, until after Han and Leia know.” 

“I promise,” Finn agreed. “And I’m glad you’re happy, Rey.”

“Thanks for looking out for me, Finn,” she added. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” 

She looked at Ben with an amused smirk as she hung up and put her phone back in her pocket. 

“Finn was your friend who found us at the club, wasn’t he?” 

Rey nodded. “I take it you didn’t recognize him last night?” 

“I don’t think I would recognize anyone from that night if I’m being honest,” he answered. “I only remembered that he wasn’t thrilled.” 

“He wasn’t, but it wasn’t his business,” she replied firmly. “Finn means well, he’s just very protective.” 

“I can understand that,” he agreed. 

“Was that the night you told me about last weekend? When you blacked out in an alley behind a club earlier this year?” she asked after a moment. 

“It was,” he confirmed. “Why don’t we take a break from shopping and grab lunch? We can talk more about everything while we eat.” 

Rey nodded in agreement. “I like the sound of that plan.” 

Ben took her arm and linked it through his own, kissing her gently on the top of the head. “Shall we?” he nodded in the direction of the Italian restaurant they’d agreed on earlier. 

She smiled up at him. 

“Lead the way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...there we go. 
> 
> Who wanted to kill Ben for about ten seconds? 
> 
> I went through several reactions for him, and this was the one I felt fit best. There was never going to be a lot of drawn-out angst though, maybe if one of them had known and kept it a secret...but I really liked the idea of them both being in the dark and then finding out together. But given their quickly growing feelings for one another and the fact that Ben already wanted to take care of the baby before he knew it was his? I could see a brief panic and needing a little time to process - but then I think he'd be pretty darn thrilled. 
> 
> As far as Finn goes, I honestly hadn't thought about him recognizing Ben until I started getting comments about that. Rey and Ben didn't recognize one another (too much to drink, different physical appearances, poor lighting, etc.) and I kind of feel like it would be mostly the same for him. Then I got the idea for that panicked phone call the next day and added that scene. 
> 
> Also, there’s going to be more with the whole “don’t hurt her or else talk” convo...it becomes a bit of a comedic thing...it’s not meant to be any sort of “oh no Ben is going to think his parents care more about Rey” deal - I promise. 
> 
> More of everything to come...let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to escalate in both good and bad ways, and Rey gets surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting!

* * *

The minutes on his watch had been crawling by at a glacial pace all morning. 

According to a phone call from Lando the night before, a team of agents would be arriving around lunchtime to arrest Gideon Snoke. The flash drive of files that Ben had brought him the previous weekend had contained enough irrefutable evidence to indict the tech mogul several times over. 

His stomach churned nervously as he glanced at the time once again. 

Pulling out his phone, he opened his notes app and began to make a list. He needed to write his letter of resignation, contact a real estate agent about selling his apartment, and start looking for a place to buy in Leavenworth. Rey would likely prefer staying with his parents for a while, the two of them still had so much to learn about one another and it would be ridiculous to try and move in together while adjusting to life with a new baby as well. 

He made another note to talk with her about it and closed the app. 

His phone rang just before 11:30 am. 

“Kylo, my office, now,” Snoke demanded before hanging up immediately. 

Ben reassured himself that there was no possible way his boss could know what was about to happen as he slipped his suit jacket on and made his way down the hall. 

“You wanted to see me?” he asked as he entered Snoke’s corner office. 

“Close the door and come sit down.” 

Snoke regarded him with a sneer as Ben quietly took a seat on the other side of the desk. 

“I believe I told you that I didn’t want you to see your family again, and now it appears you’ve not only disobeyed my request on multiple occasions, but you’ve also started a relationship with some unmarried whore who your parents took in as a pathetic charity case.”

He felt his entire body freeze. How had Snoke known that he was visiting his family? And even more importantly, _how_ had he found out about Rey? 

“I make it my business to know everything,” Snoke continued as Ben sat there unable to speak. “I’m very disappointed that you’ve gone behind my back once again, Kylo. You’ve given me no choice but to eliminate your entire bonus this year and I’ll be demoting you from your position effective immediately. This is the last chance I am giving you, go against me again, and not only will I fire you, but I’ll also make sure your parent’s little businesses suffer as well. You have no idea about the connections I have, my boy.” 

“With all due respect, sir,” Ben replied softly. “I believe I will save you the last step and -” 

The final words died on his lips as the door to Snoke’s office flew open and a group of men and women poured in. 

It was like one of those scenes out of a movie where the action on the screen went into slow motion while intense emotional music played in the background. Ben stood and quickly moved out of the way, watching as they read Snoke a list of charges. As expected, the older man refuted everyone angrily, snarling and snapping and threatening to sue. Two officers ran into the room a short time later, and Ben watched with a sense of relief as Gideon Snoke was led out the door of his office in cuffs. 

Following behind the rest of the group as they left the office, he saw Lando’s smiling face in the hallway. 

“There you are kid,” he slapped him on the back. “I stopped by your office and your secretary said Snoke had called you in a few minutes earlier. Talk about timing.” 

“I was in the middle of quitting,” he let out a breath. “I know we agreed I wouldn’t resign before all of this went down, but he found out I was still going to see my parents, and he knew about Rey. He was threatening their livelihoods, I couldn’t -”

“Hey Ben, breathe,” Lando interrupted. “It’s done now.” 

“I know,” Ben swallowed. 

Lando squeezed his shoulder. “But you didn’t officially quit, right?” 

He shook his head. “I was in the middle of the sentence when they came in to arrest him.”

“Good,” Lando replied. “While your position has nothing to do with any of the fraud, you were still the one to find those files and they will undoubtedly need to question you about a few things.” 

Ben looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed together with concern. “I’m not -”

“Nah, you’re not in trouble, it’s just protocol,” Lando interrupted. “No one is going to bat an eye at you taking the week of Christmas off, but if you can stick around the next day or two, it would be for the best.”

Ben sighed reluctantly and nodded. Lando made a good point, and it would give him time to square away some details before he officially resigned. 

“I can do that,” he agreed. 

“Good call, kid,” Lando smiled. “I talked with your old man earlier today, I hear you have a girl over there?” 

He nodded. “Rey, she’s - she’s everything,” he admitted. 

“Sounds like I may need to come over for New Year's Eve and meet her, huh?” 

“My parents would love that,” Ben agreed. “I should get back to work, it sounds like there’s going to be a lot to deal with in the next couple of days.” 

Back in the quiet of his office, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a message to Rey. 

_Ben: It’s done, he’s been arrested_

**Rey: Oh my god, did you see it happen? How did it go?**

_Ben: I was in the room. Snoke called me into his office, he found out about my visit this weekend and about you. I was in the middle of quitting after he threatened my parent’s businesses when the feds busted in_

**Rey: Shit**

**Rey: So if you quit, does this mean you get to come back sooner?**

_Ben: Middle of quitting. I never got to finish before we were interrupted. Lando thinks it’s best if I stay around for a couple of days and come out the night before Christmas Eve. There’s going to be a lot of fallout to deal with from this_

_Ben: I’m sorry, sweetheart_

**Rey: Don’t be sorry, getting out of the company without getting caught up in the trouble even more than you already have is the best option. As long as you’re home for Christmas**

_Ben: I promise, I will be_

**Rey: See you in a couple of days**

_Ben: I can’t wait_

****

  
  


Her head wouldn’t stop throbbing that afternoon. 

Despite taking her medication, the pain had become nearly unbearable again a short time later as she struggled to make it through the second half of her shift. Several times, Kaydel had looked over in her direction with a concerned look on her face when Rey would randomly wince and press her palm to her forehead. 

“You should go home, seriously,” Kaydel finally said. “Leia would make you leave if she knew, are you sure you shouldn’t tell her?” 

Rey shook her head. “My appointment is in an hour, I’m leaving early for it - I’ll be fine.” 

Kaydel looked at her doubtfully. “I love you, babe, but you look like you’re feeling miserable.” 

Her friend wasn’t wrong. She’d woken up not only with a painful headache but with her fingers and lower legs and feet tight and swollen. The skin would indent when she pressed on it, the pitting edema that Amilyn had warned her about.

“It’s just some end of pregnancy swelling. I’m sure I’ll be fine if I stay off my feet a bit more.” 

She hadn’t shared all the details of her appointments with anyone beside Leia, and somewhat with Ben. It wasn’t worth causing her friends to worry if her symptoms never developed into a more serious condition. At least not yet. 

“If you say so,” Kaydel replied skeptically. “Promise me you’ll rest this afternoon so you feel better for tonight, okay?” 

Rey nodded and smiled, that evening was their second annual _Friendsmas_ party at Poe and Finn’s house. Everyone, except Rey, left the area for the holidays to visit family. Kaydel had come up with the idea last year for their little group of friends to celebrate a few days early and they’d all agreed to make it an annual tradition. 

“I will,” she promised. 

**

Her doctor’s appointment didn’t go at all how she’d hoped. 

Her weight had gone up another three pounds over the weekend and the protein in her urine was still increasing. While her blood pressure remained stable, the fact that her headaches were no longer responding to prescription pain medication was a huge concern. 

“Have there been any changes in your diet or activity level lately?” Amilyn asked as she went over her chart. 

Rey felt herself blush.

“Would, umm, sex possibly have made things worse?” 

Amilyn looked at her with a slight smirk before returning her face with a neutral expression. “It shouldn’t have, as long as you weren’t doing anything too rough.”

There was just the slightest edge of amusement in her voice. 

“No, not at all.” Rey was certain her cheeks were turning bright red.

“Until we figure out what’s going on though, I’d maybe hold off - just as a precaution,” Amilyn advised. “I’m happy for the two of you, by the way,” she added with a wink. 

“Thanks,” she replied with a grin. 

“I’m going to send you over to the labor and delivery unit at the hospital for a non-stress test so they can make sure the baby is doing alright, and I’ll request that they perform the ultrasound I planned for today to check on fetal growth and fluid levels,” Amilyn instructed as soon as she finished the exam. 

“Is everything going to be okay?” Rey asked nervously. 

“It’s reassuring that your blood pressure has stayed stable, but everything else has me a little concerned,” she explained honestly. “I’ll meet you over at the hospital when I finish up for the day and we’ll see what they say. I will likely want to put you on some sort of modified bed rest though which would mean no working.” 

She nodded slowly. Leia would be more than understanding, but she still worried about having to take time off during their busiest time of year. 

“I’ll give Leia a call and have her come and drive you, is that alright?” Amilyn asked. 

“Yeah,” Rey whispered. “That’s fine, thank you.” 

Leia arrived at the clinic within minutes of Amilyn’s call to take Rey to the hospital. 

“I’m scared,” Rey confessed as they made the twenty-minute drive to the closest major hospital. “What if something goes wrong?” 

“Amilyn is taking every precaution, and hopefully we can get some more answers today,” Leia assured her. “Everything will be fine.” 

“Did Ben tell you that Snoke was arrested this morning?” Rey asked softly. 

Leia smiled widely. “He sent me a text earlier,” she replied. “I wish he could come home tonight, but he should get everything sorted so there’s no trouble with the case. It sounds like Lando is confident Ben won’t be implicated in any charges.” 

“That’s what he told me,” Rey added. 

“Did you want to tell him about this? I know you two are just getting to know one another but I assume my son plans to be involved with her as much as you. You’re kind of a package deal.” 

_You have no idea how close to the truth you are,_ Rey thought to herself. 

“It’s fine,” Rey answered. “I’ve told him a few things about the headaches but not a lot of other details. I don’t want to worry him if it’s nothing.” 

She would text him later. 

The ultrasound showed a healthy baby, perfect heartbeat, and growing right on track and estimated to weigh just around 5lbs. Her fluid levels looked good, and her daughter moved consistently through the entire non - stress test, rolling away from the monitors strapped across her stomach, occasionally offering a kick or nudge. 

Leia sat beside her bed the entire time as they watched the monitor and chatted quietly about plans for the holidays that week. Ben was due to arrive in two days, and Han and Leia would be hosting a Christmas Eve dinner for a few of their friends the following evening. Rey couldn’t wait to celebrate with everyone, and hoped things would settle down with the headaches and swelling so she could enjoy the annual traditions. 

“Everything looks good,” Amilyn announced as she came into the room. “I still want you to stay off of your feet as much as possible and get plenty of fluids over the next few days to see if we can’t get some of this swelling down and if it helps your headaches.” 

“Don’t you even worry about the hotel,” Leia lectured as Rey turned to look in her direction. “I’ll shuffle the schedule around and fill your shift. Hell, I can work the front desk with Kaydel if needed, we’ll manage. You, young lady, are staying home and on the couch until things improve. No arguments.” 

Amilyn squeezed her shoulder gently. “If your swelling and headaches subside, you can go back, but for now - I think it's best if we see how some modified bed rest works. Okay?” 

Rey sighed. “Okay.” 

“I’ll send a nurse back in to get you unhooked from all of this,” Amilyn said as she motioned to the monitors and bands wrapped around her stomach. “Call me for anything, I mean it - even if it’s the middle of the night, Rey, don’t hesitate.” 

“I will,” she nodded, squeezing her eyes tightly as another wave of pain passed through her head. 

“Thanks, Ami,” Leia replied. 

  
  
****

The rest of the workday had been a mess. News of Snoke’s arrest had spread through the office like wildfire, and by that afternoon the media had gotten word and news trucks were parked outside the building. No one had released any information regarding the cause yet, so speculation ran wild. A few “inside sources” had been quoted with outlandish claims, none having to do with what Ben had discovered. He’d spent the day cringing as their company stock took a nosedive and hiding in his office to avoid the gossip. 

Leaving work early that afternoon, he took a box of personal items from his desk. There wasn’t much that he cared to save, but it was cathartic to clean out his shelves and drawers all the same. Driving back to his penthouse apartment, he entered and flipped on the lights before setting the box down by the front door and heading to the kitchen. 

He’d just poured himself a glass of whiskey when his phone vibrated from his pocket. 

**Rey: It’s nothing to worry about yet, but Amilyn sent me to the hospital to have some testing done. The baby is perfect, but I’m now on modified bed rest, and she and your mom have banned me from working until it gets better. I can’t wait until you are here and I can make you watch dozens of horrible Christmas movies with me**

_Ben: Are you sure everything is okay? We didn’t make things worse this weekend, did we?_

**Rey: I’m fine, I promise. And no, we were careful - Amilyn said that it probably wouldn’t have made a difference, but she also said that we shouldn’t do it again until they know what’s going on with everything**

_Ben: That sounds smart. Please let me know if you need anything. I wish I could be there for you_

**Rey: I will, and I wish you could too. Your mom is taking good care of me. I’ve almost slipped and told her our surprise twice**

_Ben: You can tell her if you want_

**Rey: Oh no, I want you with me when we break the news**

_Ben: Alright_

_Ben: I’ll see you soon, sweetheart_

**Rey: I can’t wait**

**Rey: Oh! Before I forget!**

A black and white image popped up on the screen. It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at before it clicked. She’d sent him an ultrasound picture. 

**Rey: That’s her profile. It’s a funny angle because of how she’s positioned but meet your daughter. Apparently, she’s going to have a lot of hair like you. Thanks for the heartburn, btw**

_Ben: Heartburn?_

**Rey: It’s a silly old wives tale. The more heartburn you have, the more hair your baby is born with, or so they say. Your mother said it was true for her pregnancy with you**

_Ben: I’ll take your word for it. I’m sorry about the heartburn though_

_Ben: Thank you for the picture, I can’t wait to meet her_

**Rey: That makes two of us**

****

“Is there anything else I can get you?” Leia asked as she fussed around her, straightening pillows and making sure the water bottle was within reach. 

Rey shook her head and smiled. “The meds are working enough to at least take the edge off for now. Thank you, though.” 

“Good,” Leia smiled in return. “I’m going to whip something up for a late dinner. Yell for me if you need anything.” 

“I will.” 

Rey looked over at the sound of her notification chime to see a response from Kaydel pop up on her phone. She'd sent her a text on her way back from the hospital to let the group know she wouldn't be able to make it that evening. ****

**Kaydel: Oh babe, I’m so sorry. We’re going to miss you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do**

_Rey: I’ll miss you guys too. Have so much fun. I think Leia has everything covered for now, but I’ll let you know. Thank you for offering_

**Kaydel: Of course. And we’re totally not having as much fun without you, but we’ll try. Love you!**

_Rey: Love you too!_

She set her phone down and reached for the remote, flipping the TV on and scrolling through the guide for something happy to watch. _Christmas Vacation_ was an easy pick, the movie had just started and she was soon distracted by the comfort of one of her favorite films. 

The doorbell rang just as Cousin Eddie and his family showed up on the screen. 

“I’ll get it.” 

Rey watched as Leia moved from the kitchen and disappeared into the entryway. 

She turned back to the movie until a sudden commotion of loud whispers and hushed giggles caught her attention. Seconds later Leia led Kaydel, followed by Rose, Poe, and Finn, into the living room, their arms full of boxes and bags. 

“Surprise!” Kaydel squealed. 

“What is going on?” she asked incredulously. 

“We’re bringing Friendsmas to you, obviously!” Poe winked. “Leia’s idea, she offered to host the party here instead.” 

Rey turned and gave the older woman a wide grin. “Thank you.” 

“You’re very welcome, dear!” Leia replied. “I just finished making some appetizers. Poe, you said you were bringing the drinks?” 

Poe nodded to the box he was holding. “Right here.” 

“Excellent, you can mix those up in the kitchen.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he replied with a grin. 

“We’ll come help with the food!” Kaydel offered, pulling Rose with her into the kitchen behind Leia and Poe. 

Finn came and sat next to her and gave her a small smile. They hadn’t talked since his frantic phone call the previous day and she wasn’t sure what to say first. 

“So,” he started. 

“Yep,” she shrugged. 

He drummed his hands on the coffee table in a familiar beat. “I’m sorry about panicking yesterday, I promise I haven’t said a word to anyone.” 

“It’s alright, I probably would have been the same way if I was in your place,” she admitted. “It’s pretty fucking crazy.” 

“That’s a pretty accurate way of putting things, I suppose,” he chuckled. “And you’re really okay with this?” 

“Completely,” she promised. 

“Okay, then I’m good with it too,” he replied. 

Rey wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Thank you."

Plates of half-eaten pizza and empty cups of holiday punch, and Rey’s ginger ale, littered the various surfaces of the living room as they sat around and opened presents, laughing and smiling at what everyone had picked out for each other. Her friends had gifted her a bunch of things to help make the end of her pregnancy more comfortable as well as the first weeks after the baby arrived. The timing was perfect with the latest instructions to stay off her feet and take it easy and things like comfortable pajamas and a soft oversized blanket were exactly what she needed. 

“Hey Rey, I think you have one more present,” Kaydel smiled and inclined her head towards the entrance to the living room. 

Ben stood there with a grin on his face

“What?” She laughed in disbelief. “You said you weren’t able to get out of work until Wednesday!” 

“I’m not, but I wanted to see you,” he explained as he crossed the room. “I have to head back in the morning.” 

Driving over from Seattle in the most ideal conditions was easily a two and a half hour trip, during the holidays with snow on the pass could easily make the trip an hour or more longer. 

“Ben!” Leia swept into the room and hugged him. “We weren’t expecting you until later this week.” 

“He came over just for tonight to see her,” Kaydel swooned. 

Leia reached up and patted him lovingly on the cheek. “Just the sort of impulsive romantic gesture your father would make. Can I get you a plate of food? There’s still pizza left.” 

“I‘d love some, thanks,” he replied. 

After Rey’s friends had left they sat in the living room staring at the warm glow of the Christmas tree, talking softly. Ben had positioned himself behind Rey, letting her recline with her back against his chest with his hands placed on her stomach. She’d begun to grow used to having people care about her, but nothing had come close to the feeling of gentle security that he gave her.

He jumped a bit when their daughter rolled underneath his palm causing her stomach to shift. 

“I’m not pushing into her head am I?” he asked as he carefully poked at the small lump that appeared. 

“That’s probably her butt,” she smirked. “She’s already positioned with her head down, so it’s usually that or her knees or feet I feel up near my ribs.” 

Ben chuckled. “I’m still wrapping my mind around all of this.” 

“Me too,” she agreed. “I also can’t believe you came all the way over here to see me tonight.” 

“I needed to make sure you were okay,” he replied. “Is what they’re monitoring you for serious?”

“Potentially, but Amilyn is watching the two of us closely,” she answered honestly. “We’ll be alright.”

She glanced back over at the tree as Ben continued to rub her stomach, waiting for more signs of movement. 

“How are you feeling about earlier? I know we texted but I’m here to listen if you want to talk some more,” she offered. 

“I’m relieved, mostly, to be honest. I was worried that the evidence I’d given Lando still wouldn’t be enough, and then when Snoke started talking about you and my parents and -” his voice trailed off and she felt him sigh deeply.

Rey remembered his earlier text and placed her hand over his. “Did you ever figure out how Snoke knew you were coming to visit?” 

“I honestly have no idea, if he had only mentioned my parents I would have assumed he was bluffing,” Ben replied. “But he knew about you as well.” 

“There isn’t anyone else at the company you have to worry about is there? Do people know you found the files?” She suddenly began to grow worried as a few scenarios passed through her mind, none of them good. 

He kissed the top of her head. “Pryde and Hux would be the only two I’d suspect, but I don’t think of either as being particularly malicious, just power-hungry, and I’m certainly not a threat to either of their jobs.”

“Well, Snoke is out of the way, hopefully for good,” she reminded him. 

“And I’m only sticking around as long as I need to, I’ve already started drafting a letter of resignation stating that I was leaving the company to be closer to my family,” Ben said softly. “I’m submitting it after the New Year no matter what.”

The way he said _my family_ made her smile. 

“Too bad your parents already went to bed,” she mused. “We could have told them tonight.” 

“I still want to wait for Christmas,” he replied. 

Rey nodded. “I suppose. It’s hard to keep such a big secret from your mother though.”

“How about Christmas Eve instead?” Ben suggested. 

“Christmas Eve brunch before the others show up?” she countered. 

He smiled at her. “It’s a plan.”

She looked down as she squeezed his hand and made a face at the way her fingers were nearly as wide as his. “I’m looking forward to not being gross and swollen anymore.” 

He scoffed and kissed her again. “You are not gross.” 

“I look so different, and puffy,” she grumbled. 

“I still think you’re absolutely beautiful, especially now,” he murmured. 

Rey smiled a little. “Thanks” 

Ben let out a yawn. “I’m running on only a few hours of sleep, sweetheart. Can I take you to bed and hold you tonight?” 

“No funny business,” she warned teasingly. “But yes, I’d like that a lot.” 

She fell asleep easily that evening, Ben spooned her from behind, cradling her stomach like he’d done when they’d slept together that weekend. It felt right to have him there, as though he’d always belonged, his body pressed firmly against hers, and his soft breath on the back of her neck. 

In the morning, she woke up to him kissing her softly and whispering goodbye in her ear. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

“Mmm’bye, Ben,” she mumbled sleepily in response. 

Two more days. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed things up and added on to the end of the chapter during editing - hence the slight delay on posting! I think it was worth the wait 😊 
> 
> Other than the Snoke stuff, this was a bit of a transition chapter as we head into the next part of the story. 
> 
> More coming soon! Updates will slow just a little as life in general gets a bit more hectic with the holidays and my other Christmas fic nears it’s posting date.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben finally gets some answers at work before leaving to spend Christmas with his family, but a phone call just before he arrives in Leavenworth changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and sharing this fic! 
> 
> See endnotes before reading if you have any concerns about pregnancy and medical-related tags as this chapter starts featuring more discussion on those topics. Since it’s heavily mentioned throughout, I will not be separately marking medical stuff in this chapter and the two following. Possibly more as I’m still dividing the next big block of this fic up for the best pacing. 
> 
> It’s totally fine if you want to skim over, or take a pause and come back for the last few chapters when I smother you all with tons of family fluff and fun. Feel free to read the endnotes though (there will be some spoilers, but I want you to know where potential triggers are) and decide what is best for you!

* * *

  
“Rey?” 

A warm hand touched her back. 

“Are you alright, dear?” 

She gripped the side of the toilet bowl and nodded slowly before reaching for the lever. 

“My head,” she groaned quietly once the water had stopped running. “I woke up in so much pain that it made me sick.” 

Leia’s hand rubbed her back as she took a few deep breaths. 

“Do you think you can stand on your own?”

Rey nodded again and pushed herself off the ground, swaying slightly as she rose. Leia grabbed her arm and steadied her before guiding her to the shower and turning on the water. 

“This should help you feel better. I’m going to leave the door unlocked to your bathroom if I need to come and check on you,” she told her. “Is that alright?” 

“That’s fine.” 

“Is there any food that you think you can try and keep down? You’ll need to eat with your medicine.” 

“Toast with some butter, maybe?” she whispered. 

“I’ll have it waiting when you get out,” Leia replied. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need any help.” 

Once she was alone, Rey stripped out of her pajamas and walked under the hot water, letting it run over her head and down the length of her body. It didn’t completely ease her pain, but it was enough relief for the moment. Closing her eyes, she stood there until the water began to run lukewarm. 

The shower gave her enough energy to get dressed and pull her hair into a low bun. Grabbing a pill from the medicine bottle on her nightstand she made her way to the kitchen. 

“You didn’t need to come downstairs,” Leia scolded gently as she motioned towards the plate of lightly buttered toast. “I was going to bring this up to you.” 

“I’m doing alright. The shower helped a little bit, and I’m sure I’ll feel better once I take my medicine,” Rey insisted. “Thanks for all your help this morning.”

“You’re welcome, dear, but it’s straight to the couch after this,” Leia replied firmly. 

“Alright.” 

“And if you don’t feel better after food and medicine, especially if you can’t keep either down, I think you should call Amilyn.” 

“I will,” Rey promised and carefully took a bite of toast. 

She’d never had anyone to mother her like Leia did while growing up, and at times it was still hard to wrap her head around the fact that people could care so much about her. She was slowly learning to let them, however.

“Good,” Leia smiled. “Speaking of Amilyn - she’ll be over this afternoon to help cook for tomorrow. The clinic closes at noon today and I’ll be leaving work early as well. We should both be back around then, if you’re feeling better later you can join us in the kitchen.” 

Rey grinned as she remembered this same day the previous year. It had been her first Christmas in Leavenworth and she’d been roped into Leia and Amilyn’s Christmas Eve Eve cooking and baking marathon. Hours of preparing desserts and sides for the following day, followed by watching “White Christmas” and eating through the stash of sweets and baked goods Amilyn had received as gifts from various patients. 

“I hope I am,” she agreed. 

After finishing the first slice of toast, she swallowed her pill with a small glass of water. The relief wasn’t instant, but after a bit, the pain began to fade enough that she felt human again. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Leia promised as she left for the hotel. “Call or text for any reason, I mean it.” 

Rey smiled. “I know.” 

Settling onto the couch, wrapped in a warm blanket, she turned on Hallmark to watch whatever movie was playing. Shortly after the third one started, she drifted off to sleep. 

****

The office was unusually quiet. 

A majority of the company was out, some already planned - but many had called in at the last minute. Nobody wanted to be around while investigations were going on, or while the press lingered outside hoping to catch anyone they could for a statement on the scandal. 

Ben was only there because he’d agreed with Lando that it was for the best to stick around. 

He was leaving by three that afternoon though. His mother had texted him in the morning that Rey was sick and he wanted to get over to see her as soon as he possibly could. 

“Mr. Solo?” 

He glanced up to find a man and a woman standing just inside his office door. 

“Can I help you?” he asked, shutting off his monitor and folding his hands on the desk. 

The man motioned for the woman to enter first and followed behind her. 

“I’m Zorii Bliss and this is Snap Wexley, we spoke over the phone yesterday,” the woman introduced them. 

Ben nodded and stood, leaning forward over his desk to shake both of their hands before motioning for them to sit in the chairs facing him. “Of course, please, have a seat.” 

He’d been contacted by the two agents the day before requesting more information about the files and where he’d found them as they worked to find who had planted them in the first place. The last he’d been updated, they were still unable to make any solid connections. 

“We finally were able to trace the files back to an account, but the name doesn’t match any employees at First Order. Do you happen to know a Millicent H? There wasn’t a full surname given, just the initial,” Snap asked. 

“Millicent H?” Ben raised an eyebrow and then choked out a laugh. “Oh, that sneaky little bastard. Of course.” 

“Excuse me?” Zorii looked puzzled. 

Ben grinned at the two of them. “Millicent doesn’t work here, but her owner Armitage Hux does.” 

At their even more confused expressions, he shook his head in amusement. 

“Millicent is his _cat_.” 

It didn’t surprise him when Armitage showed up at his office later that afternoon with an exasperated expression on his face. 

“Figured it out, did you?” he asked as he sauntered into the room and sat down in a chair. “I thought I’d hidden my tracks well enough.” 

“Millicent H? Really?” Ben glanced at him skeptically. “You were signed into an account made under that name when you moved a few of the files, so it was registered in the log of who had previously accessed them.” 

Hux swore under his breath. “Shit, I thought I was being careful.” 

“Why did you do it?” he asked. 

“I was tired of Snoke’s bullshit,” his colleague answered honestly. “He’s been getting more and more unstable, and Pryde goes along with everything the old windbag does. I’ve been pretending to play along so I didn’t end up under his wrath while I’ve been gathering proof for months.” 

“You didn’t want to turn the evidence in yourself?” 

“I had a lot more to lose,” he replied. “No offense, Ren, but you’ve been on Snoke’s shit list for a while - especially lately. If the evidence I had wasn’t enough and it backfired, I didn’t want to be caught in the aftermath. You seemed fed up enough with him as well, so when Snoke called the other weekend and demanded I come up with some ridiculous project to punish you with - I knew it was the best opportunity to hide some incriminating documents in plain sight.”

Ben sighed but didn’t respond. 

“He’s out of the way now, Pryde will probably follow, and with my involvement in helping uncover the truth with a heavy dose of denying previous knowledge, you might be looking at the next head at First Order,” Hux bragged. “I’ll, of course, need someone to fill my current position. Are you interested, Ren?” 

He wasn’t, but Hux didn’t need to know. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Good,” he smiled. “Though, I understand you’ve formed a bit of an attachment in Leavenworth, hmm?” 

Ben looked at him. “Did you find out and tell Snoke?” 

“I don’t care what you do, Ren,” Hux shrugged. “Snoke had his little secretary, Bazine, spying on you though.” 

He should have known. 

“I need to get a few things done before I head out,” he answered quietly. “I suppose I owe you a thank you, and I hope things work out in your favor.”

“They will,” Hux replied smugly. “Remember my offer, Ren, and have a good holiday.” 

Ben nodded and watched as Hux turned and left his office. With a sigh, he turned his attention back towards his computer and the project he was trying to finish. 

He left the office just after three. It wasn’t as early as he’d hoped, but the interruptions from Snap and Zorii, and then Hux, had put him behind schedule. Heading back to his apartment, he sent a text to Rey and went to finish packing. With any luck, he’d be on the road by four. 

****

Rey woke up to the sound of voices murmuring and the stand mixer whirring in the kitchen. Her head was still throbbing, but the pain had dulled some. Shifting over, she reached for her phone to check the time. 4:18. 

She’d been asleep for over four hours. 

Swiping the message notification, she saw there were three missed texts from Ben. 

**Ben: Hey sweetheart, I’m almost finished packing, and then I’ll be on the road. How are you feeling?**

And another from thirty minutes later. 

**Ben: I hope everything is alright**

The last had been sent only ten minutes ago. 

**Ben: I’m heading out, please let me know you are doing alright. I’ve not heard anything from you or my mom this afternoon**

_Rey: I’m so sorry, I was sleeping. I think your Mom is in the kitchen making food for tomorrow, she probably didn’t hear her phone. I am doing a little better I think. Drive safe, I can’t wait to see you_

**Ben: You have nothing to be sorry about. I am glad you are feeling a bit better**

_Rey: You’re not driving are you?_

**Ben: Not at the moment, I stopped for gas and a snack. You have good timing**

_Rey: I try :)_

**Ben: Waze says it should take just under 3 hours, so I’ll be there right after dinner time**

**Ben: Oh, and I can’t wait to see you either**

It wasn’t until she set her phone down and tried to pull herself into a sitting position that she realized something wasn’t right. An intense wave of pain and pressure wrapped around her entire head and she nearly doubled over at the sensation. Gripping the arm of the couch, she attempted to stand, and the room began to spin. Her foot kicked the coffee table as she stumbled back onto the couch, knocking over the metal water bottle onto the hardwood floor with a loud crash. 

Closing her eyes tightly, she heard footsteps from the kitchen before feeling a pair of soft hands on her head. 

“Rey? Can you open your eyes for me?” 

Amilyn was kneeling by the couch looking at her with a worried expression. It took Rey a moment to remember that she was coming over to help Leia cook for the following day. 

“I’m really dizzy,” she whispered. “My head hurts so bad.” 

“And you took your medicine recently?” Amilyn asked. 

“Right before I fell asleep, four hours ago,” she replied. 

“She looks really swollen,” Leia mentioned. “There wasn’t nearly as much swelling in her face this morning.” 

Amilyn studied her carefully. “It’s gotten much worse,” she agreed. “Rey, I’m going to check your feet and legs. Leia, can you get the blood pressure monitor she’s been using?” 

Rey felt Amilyn move the blanket off her lower body and gently remove her socks. 

“Your edema is pitting pretty badly,” she confirmed as she carefully prodded the skin. 

Leia returned with the machine and Amilyn helped Rey into a sitting position before attaching the cuff around her upper arm. 

“What is it?” Leia asked softly when the reading ended and the alarm began to beep. 

“It’s just above the normal range, but it’s a decent jump from your normal readings,” Amilyn explained. “I think we should head to the hospital for monitoring just to be on the safe side.” 

She didn’t remember the drive to the hospital, or how she got from the front door to the triage unit of Labor and Delivery. Leia and Amilyn checked her in, and at Amilyn’s insistence, she was quickly taken back to an exam room. They took the usual stats and tested her protein levels. Everything had worsened since Monday and her weight alone had shot up several pounds. 

“I’m going to have them send in a nurse to hook you up to the monitors while I go talk to a couple of my colleagues that are on-call, alright?” Amilyn told her gently. 

“Okay,” Rey whispered. 

A tall nurse with dark hair entered the room a few moments later and rushed around to get her set up with blood pressure and fetal monitoring. 

“What’s going on?” she asked. 

Rey tried to speak but another wave of pain shot through her head.

“She’s been having painful headaches and swelling,” Leia explained as she gripped her hand. “Dr. Holdo is having her monitored for preeclampsia.”

The nurse frowned and watched the monitors for a moment. “Her blood pressure is perfectly fine. I don’t know why they are going to all this trouble. Headaches and swelling are normal in pregnancy, it’s probably just bad sinus pressure. Everyone is sick this time of year. Did you try some Tylenol?” 

“Excuse me?” Leia stood. “Have you read her full chart? I may not be a nurse but this level of swelling is _not_ normal and her headaches have stopped responding to Vicodin, so I’m fairly confident this is more than just a sinus infection.”

“Easy, lady, I’m just stating facts,” the nurse replied defensively. 

Rey sighed when Amilyn popped back into the room. 

“What’s going on?” 

“This nurse here seems to think the source of Rey’s headaches and swelling is a sinus infection,” Leia huffed. 

Amilyn rounded on the nurse. “It’s pretty clear from her chart, had you read it, that there’s a bit more going on here. I’d like to speak with you out in the hall if you don’t mind.” 

She returned a moment later, alone, and gave her a faint smile. 

“I apologize for that, I’ve worked with her before and her bedside manner is sorely lacking. I’ve requested they assign you another nurse.” 

"Thanks," Rey replied softly. 

“Yes, thank you, I don't think they would have let me stay here if I had to deal with her again," Leia added. 

Amilyn laughed. "That doesn't surprise me," she agreed before turning towards Rey. "I'm going to keep monitoring you for now, and we'll go from there."

An hour passed with little change. Her blood pressure flirted with the line between normal and slightly elevated, but there was no drastic increase again. Amilyn had been called away to consult on another case, so Leia offered to run to the nearby cafe for dinner. 

“I found you a turkey sandwich and cranberry juice,” Leia announced as she returned with a bag of food. 

“Thank you, that’s perfect,” she smiled. “I haven’t eaten since that slice of toast I took with my medicine this morning.” 

Unwrapping the sandwich, she took a bite and chewed slowly before swallowing, washing the food down with a sip of the juice. 

“Of course, dear, let me know if you need anything else,” Leia replied.

Rey motioned to her phone. “Can you text Ben for me? We should probably let him know that I’m here. He said he’d be arriving around 7:20 or so.” 

The clock on the wall read just after 6:30

“Already taken care of, I sent him a message when I went to get our food,” Leia grinned. “He hasn’t replied yet, but I assume he’s busy driving. If he doesn’t get it on the road, he’ll see it at the house.”

Amilyn returned a moment later dressed in scrubs. “Another one of my patients just arrived in full labor, It’s her fourth and she’s already getting ready to push, so I’ll be in and out for a bit,” she explained. “Is everything going well?” 

“We just had some food, and Rey seems to be doing a little better,” Leia replied. 

“And the headache?” Amilyn asked Rey. 

“Still there,” she shrugged. “It’s not as bad at the moment, though.”

“That’s good.” Amilyn looked at the monitor for a moment. “Your blood pressure still looks fine, higher than your usual but it’s staying in the normal range for the most part. I’d like to keep monitoring you a bit longer and we’ll talk about sending you home if things stay the same for the next hour or two.” 

“Thank you,” Rey smiled. Getting to go home and spend time with Ben and enjoy the festivities of the next two days sounded perfect. 

It started with a wave of pain, her entire skull began to throb and her eyesight blurred. Another wave, and this time her vision tunneled briefly causing everything to go black for a second. The monitor next to her began to beep loudly and she tried to turn her head to look at the screen but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

The chair beside her moved across the floor and she heard Leia stand and reach for the call button. 

Another nurse came rushing in and looked at the monitor.

“It just started going off and she’s not very responsive,” Rey heard Leia explain before her vision blurred again and she felt the room begin to spin. 

“Her blood pressure is really high,” the nurse replied. “Dr. Holdo should be here any minute.”

Another set of footsteps entered the room and she closed her eyes as the dizziness began to fade. 

“Rey?” Amilyn asked carefully. 

“Yeah?” she managed. 

“Good, you’re responding. You had me really worried for a moment,” she explained. “Your blood pressure had a sudden spike. We’re going to get you started on magnesium sulfate and see if we can get it back under control.” 

She opened her eyes and looked at her doctor with concern. “Is everything going to be alright?” 

“With how quickly everything has progressed, I feel that it’s in the best interest of your health and the baby’s health that we induce you tonight,” she admitted. “If the magnesium sulfate doesn’t keep your blood pressure down, we may need to perform an emergency cesarean but ideally you’ll be able to try for a vaginal birth.”

She heard Leia gasp softly from beside her. 

“I could have the baby tonight?” she asked. 

Amilyn smiled. “Hopefully not tonight, maybe in the next day or two. I’d actually like to perform an internal exam and see where your progress is at and we’ll go from there. Is that alright?” 

“Yeah that’s fine,” she nodded. 

“Let me have a nurse come help you change into a gown and I’ll be back in a moment,” Amilyn replied

“I’ll step out and try and get a hold of Ben and give you some privacy,” Leia said as she stood and followed Amilyn from the room.

Rey took a deep breath and laid her head back against the pillow. 

****

He was ten minutes from his parent’s house when his phone began ringing. Glancing over quickly, he saw his mom’s name on the display and looked back at the road, ignoring the call. He’d talk to her when he arrived. 

The phone rang again. 

“I’m like nine minutes away, what’s up?” he answered. 

“I take it you haven’t seen my text,” Leia guessed. 

“No,” he answered. “What’s going on?” 

“We’re at the hospital, you need to come straight here.” 

His heart dropped. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“Rey’s condition worsened this afternoon, we’ve been here for a couple of hours for monitoring, things were going well and Amilyn thought she might be able to go home soon. Her blood pressure had a sudden spike about twenty minutes ago. They are going to try and keep it down with medication, but it sounds like inducing her tonight is the best option.” 

“I’ll be right there, tell her I’m on my way.” 

“Of course,” Leia promised. “Drive safely, honey.”

He’d been to the hospital before, years ago as a teenager when he’d needed stitches in his hand for a poor decision with a knife and a stupid game of truth or dare. Driving into the parking garage, he found the visitor section and pulled into the first empty spot. 

Taking the sky bridge into the building he paused once inside the entrance. Hospitals had a distinct smell, like disinfectant and bad cafeteria food with a side of something he’d rather not think about too much. 

He made it to the labor and delivery unit after asking a passing janitor for directions and found his father waiting outside for him. 

“How is she?” he asked.

Han shrugged. “I don’t know yet, I just got here myself and was waiting on your mother.” 

“Do you two need visitor passes?” The woman at the front desk interrupted. “You won’t be allowed back into triage without one.” 

“We do,” Ben replied, walking over to the counter with Han following close behind him. 

“Fill this out with your name and relationship to the patient,” she pointed to the form. 

Ben wrote his name down and hesitated over the relationship column for a second before writing _baby’s father_ in the blank space. 

“Oh, congratulations! I take it you must be the grandfather then?” the woman gushed as she noticed what Ben wrote and looked up at him and Han. 

“Huh?” Han asked and looked curiously at him. “Yeah, I suppose. Do I need to sign that thing too?” 

“I got it,” Ben replied, adding his father’s name and _baby’s grandpa_ to the list. 

They had just put on their printed visitor badges when Leia came out into the lobby. 

“There you two are,” she exclaimed. “Oh good, you both signed in.” 

“How is she?” Ben asked quietly as he followed Leia back into triage. 

His mother patted him on the back. “Why don’t you go in and see for yourself, she’s in room four. I need to talk to your father for a second.” 

He left them behind as he walked down the hall and found her room. Knocking gently on the glass door, he slid open the divider and pushed past the curtain that had been pulled over the transparent wall for privacy. 

“Hey sweetheart,” he said softly. 

Rey turned and looked at him with a puzzled expression before a smile spread across her face. 

“You’re here,” she murmured. “You’re here and I look terrifying.” 

Ben chuckled at her mock pout. “I promise I’m not laughing at you, just your expression. You don’t look terrifying, I promise.” 

There was no denying that she looked incredibly swollen, nearly unrecognizable, but the smile she gave him next and the way her eyes still lit up made her just as beautiful to him as she’d always been. 

“We’re going to be parents soon,” she added after a moment. “Amilyn just checked my cervix and I’ve already started making a tiny amount of progress, so she’s hoping I won’t need a c-section.” 

He watched as she shifted her position, noticing the IV sticking out of her left hand. 

“What’s that for?” 

“Medication to help keep my blood pressure down and another for my headaches. They also gave me a shot of steroids to help with her lung development since she’ll be born early,” she explained. “This is all so crazy, but I’ve known about her for months - how are you doing?” 

“Just worried about you two. That’s my only concern right now,” he replied. “Besides, we probably have to change the plan for telling my parents. I signed in as the baby’s father and my Dad gave me a funny look.” 

Rey grinned. “Well, I guess we better tell them tonight then.” 

“Let's get you settled in a room first, these walls are thin and I fear for the eardrums of the surrounding patients from my mother’s reaction.” 

“Fair enough,” she laughed. 

“How was your day at work?” She asked after a moment. 

“Mostly uneventful, but I got some answers,” he smiled. “Hux planted the files and Snoke’s assistant Bazine was spying on my trips over here.” 

Rey shook her head. “I’m glad you are getting out of there.” 

“Hux seems to think I’ll stick around. He’s convinced he’ll be given Snoke’s job and he wants me to take over his current position as COO.” 

“Do you want that? It sounds like a pretty big deal,” Rey asked. 

“Not even a little. Even if I’d never met you and we didn’t have a baby coming, I’ve been ready to leave the company for a while,” he replied. “Besides, Snoke may be evil but Hux is damn near insufferable. I don’t think I’d last ten seconds with him in charge.” 

She smiled at him. “Oh good. I didn’t want you to hold back because of us.” 

“Never,” he assured her. “You two come first now.” 

A light knock on the glass interrupted them as Han and Leia entered the room followed by Amilyn. 

“There’s a room that just opened up in labor and delivery, so a nurse will be in shortly to officially admit you and get you ready to move,” Amilyn explained. 

“Han and I are going to head back to the house and grab your hospital bag, is there anything else you two need?” Leia asked.

Ben looked at Rey as she started shaking her head and then stopped and smiled. 

“There’s a small wrapped present on my dresser, it’s red with a white bow. Can you bring that back too?” she asked. 

He knew from the description that she was talking about the gift they’d bought to announce their news and gave her a grin. 

“I can do that,” Leia agreed. “Do you need anything, honey?” 

“All of my stuff is in my car in the parking garage, I’m good for now.” 

“Alright then,” his mother replied. “We’ll see you when we get back.” 

The new room was over double the size of the previous space. There was a single hospital bed in the middle of the room beside a rolling cart with various monitors. A bed he could only assume was for the baby sat against one wall. On the other side of the bed was a couch underneath the window and a rocking chair in the corner. He set the few things he was carrying down on the chair and watched as they carefully transferred Rey from the wheelchair into the bed. 

“Is there anything we can get you?” A nurse asked. 

“I think I’m good for now,” Rey replied softly. 

The older woman smiled. “Alright, call if you change your mind. Your doctor should be in shortly.” 

He watched as the others left the room before going to sit on the edge of the bed and taking Rey’s hand in his own. 

When his parents returned, Rey was doing much better, other than being grumpy over the news that she couldn’t eat until after she delivered. Ben was glad to see the relief on her face as the medicine continued to take effect and ease her discomfort. 

“How are things?” Leia asked as she came to the side of the bed and placed her hand on Ben’s shoulder. 

“The medicine is helping a lot,” Rey replied. “Amilyn is going to come in and discuss the first step of the induction in another hour or so, she got called into another delivery just before you arrived.” 

“Another?” Leia asked. “She’s popular tonight.” 

“Something else was popular nine months ago,” Han commented dryly and then held up Rey’s duffle bag. “We got your stuff kid.” 

“Thanks,” she grinned. 

Leia pulled the small red box from her purse. “And this too, I’m guessing it’s for Ben?” 

Ben watched as Rey bit her lip and shook her head slowly. 

“That’s actually for you two, and it’s a present we’d like you to open early,” she explained. 

His mother examined the box carefully and looked between the two of them. 

“What’s going on?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***warnings and spoilers***  
> Rey’s condition rapidly worsens and she is taken to the hospital where her blood pressure spikes suddenly as they are monitoring her. It’s decided that she’ll be induced starting that evening. 
> 
> The beginning of the next chapter does start with a reveal you might want to read (and no medical talk during that part) but the rest of it will be pretty heavily focused on her labor and delivery and a little on the immediate recovery. I wanted to share a more realistic experience and not a TV sitcom birth. There will be quite a bit of fluff and banter mixed in, but discussions of many things relating to being in labor and delivering a baby will be fairly prominent in chapters 10 and 11, and some first week of postpartum talk in chapter 12. 
> 
> I will put summaries without too many details at the end of those chapters for those who don’t wish to read. 
> 
> Hopefully, the tags and the endnotes about them in chapter one was fair enough warning, but I figured I’d give one more just to be safe.  
> ***and done 😉***
> 
> Sorry not sorry to leave on that cliffhanger. Originally I had written Ben stuck in traffic due to an accident at the pass and him getting the call that Rey was being admitted to have the baby but I didn’t want to be *that* mean...lol.
> 
> This is entirely based on my own experience, a few things I had to modify a bit or so a little research on because a) it’s been awhile, and b) I was just as out of it as Rey at times and am going off of what my husband remembers 🤣 Also remember that everyone's experiences are so different, I'm located in the US and delivered at a major hospital so how things were handled in my situation may vary greatly from how things are done in other countries or at birthing centers. I'm not really intending to start any sort of debates over the topic so if you disagree with anything I've written, please keep that in mind. Thanks! 
> 
> And yes I absolutely did have a nurse try and tell me the incredibly painful headaches I was experiencing were “just a sinus infection” - she was lovely. My doctor was amazing though, just like Amilyn.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey share their big news with Han and Leia, and an unexpected guest joins them for Christmas Eve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always for reading and commenting! I’m behind on replying but I am still reading them and will comment back soon! 
> 
> There's a lot of medical talk in this one, see the top of endnotes for a little summary and key moments (spoiler alert for everyone else!) if you want to skip over 😊
> 
> Also, my internet was funky all day so I had to finish writing and editing this on my phone since my laptop isn’t connected to data - I think I got the spacing right and that everything makes sense, but I apologize if I missed something! I didn’t want to leave you all waiting on that cliffhanger too long 💛

* * *

  
Previously on The Road Before Us...

_Leia pulled the small red box from her purse. “And this too, I’m guessing it’s for Ben?”_

_Ben watched as Rey bit her lip and shook her head slowly._

_“That’s actually for you two, and it’s a present we’d like you to open early,” she explained._

_His mother examined the box carefully and looked between the two of them._

_“What’s going on?”_

  
  


“Just open it,” she grinned. 

Leia tore away the wrapping and lifted the lid of the enclosed box, pulling the ornament that sat within, and stared at it for a moment before reading the handwritten words. “Officially the Best Grandparents. Oh, this is so thoughtful. Han and I are so touched to be there for both you and the baby, dear.”

“Turn it around, Mom,” Ben explained. On the other side read _Baby Solo Arriving January 2021_

“Now arriving December 2020, however,” Rey added with a smile. 

Leia’s face went from delight to confusion to concern in the span of a few seconds. “While I appreciate the gesture, Rey, isn’t your relationship still too new to be making such a big decision about the baby’s last name?” 

“How do you know she didn’t decide on that because of me?” Han teased as he glanced at the ornament over her shoulder. 

Rey looked at Ben with a smile and shrugged. “You want me to tell them?” she asked quietly. 

“Tell us what?” Leia demanded. “What, _exactly_ , is going on?” 

Ben grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. “There’s not really an easy way to lead into something like this,” he started, his voice tinged with amusement. “Rey’s having my baby.” 

Complete silence filled the room for a moment as she watched Han and Leia digest the news. 

“And I love that you’re stepping up to take care of them both, but I still think you should wait before deciding on something as important as this,” Leia replied. 

“No,” Ben’s composure cracked and he grinned widely. “She’s really having my baby.”

“He’s the mystery guy from the concert, we figured it out on Sunday when I saw his tattoo,” Rey explained. 

Han let out a bark of laughter. “Well fuck! You two are serious?” 

“Completely,” Ben promised. 

“Leia?” Rey asked softly as she noticed the older woman had gone uncharacteristically silent. 

The older woman looked up at her with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. “Oh honey, all this time?” 

She nodded and grinned. “She’s not just your honorary granddaughter.”

“As if I’d ever thought of her as anything less than a real grandchild, we’ve loved her and loved you as though you were our own all along,” Leia wiped her eyes and went to hug Rey. “I can’t believe this.” 

Releasing her and leaning over towards Ben, she gave him a quick hug before standing at full height and putting her hands on her hips. “Benjamin Organa Skywalker Solo, you’re damn lucky I am too happy to be angry right now about you hooking up with strangers in the middle of a club!” 

Rey laughed, Leia had given her the same lecture when she’d confessed how the baby was conceived.

“But grandchildren!” Ben argued back. 

“That’s the only reason you’re lucky,” Leia teased. 

Amilyn entered the room a few moments later and looked around the room. 

“Did I miss something?”

Han looked at Rey. “Does she know?” 

Rey shook her head. “Only Ben,” she answered. “Oh, well, Finn figured it out too, but that’s a whole different story.” 

“Someone is going to need to fill me in here,” Amilyn said. 

The look on her doctor’s face was priceless when they retold the entire story and she immediately gathered Ben into a hug. 

“Oh you two, this is the best,” she grinned. “And how cool is it that I got to be there when you were born and now I’ll be delivering your own kid?” Releasing Ben from her embrace, Amilyn walked over to her bedside and squeezed her shoulder. “Speaking of delivery, it’s time to talk about your induction.” 

“Okay,” she replied nervously.

“We can leave if you need privacy,” Leia offered. 

Han stood up with a grunt. “This is probably my cue to head out anyway. I figure I’ll see you both at some point tomorrow since we’ll probably be having Christmas Eve in the hospital.”

“Other than Chewie, we're all already here right now anyway,” Leia pointed out. “Would it be too overwhelming for you, dear, if we stopped by for a little bit tomorrow with Chewie? I can bring some of the food, and the presents for you and Ben.”

Rey looked at Amilyn, “Am I going to be in actual labor tomorrow? I don’t know how the timing works.” 

“I would doubt it, my goal is to not start anything that will put you into full-blown labor until the steroids you were given earlier have had at least twenty-four hours,” Amilyn replied. “You’re going to be doing a lot of sitting around and waiting as long as things stay under control with your blood pressure. It’s entirely up to you.”

“I think I’d really like you all to come, I don’t want to miss out on celebrating with everyone,” she decided.

Leia grinned. “Perfect! We’ll text in the morning and set up a time.”

“We should get out of your hair so you can, you know, labor or whatever,” Han mumbled awkwardly as he scratched his head. 

Leia rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you’d think she was pushing a baby out right this second.” 

Han’s face paled. “I’ll be in the waiting room when that happens,” he grumbled. “Or better yet, down the street at a bar, Ben, you want to join me too? It can be like the old days, we can smoke cigars.” 

“No thanks, Dad, I think I’ll hang around for this one,” he replied. 

“Of course you will, only a nerf herder would willingly miss the birth of their child,” Leia rolled her eyes. “Alright you two, we’ll call you in the morning and set up a time to come by tomorrow.” 

“Sounds good,” Ben agreed. 

Rey felt Leia wrap her arms around her again. “I’m so thrilled, you have no idea.” 

“Me too,” she grinned, leaning into the older woman’s embrace. 

  
  


After they left, Amilyn pulled up a chair alongside the bed and looked over the monitors for a moment. 

“Is everything alright?” Ben asked. 

“Right now it looks fine,” Amilyn replied before turning towards her. “However, I’m still feeling confident that it’s in both of your best interests to go ahead and induce over trying to wait it out and get you closer to term. Especially given how fast and high your blood pressure went up yesterday. You’ll be 35 weeks tomorrow and she may not even need more than an evaluation in the NICU at this point, especially with the steroid shot you were given.

Since you’re just starting to show signs of effacement and dilation, I’m going to start you on a round of cervidil overnight. It’s a twelve-hour treatment that helps prepare your cervix for delivery. Unless there’s drastic progress, we’ll do another 12 hours after that and then go from there, but I’d like to give your body time to get ready and the steroids time to help the baby.” 

“This is going to take a while isn’t it?” Rey bit her lip nervously. 

Amilyn shrugged in response. “It depends, you’re a first-time mom and you’re not quite to term yet, but I’ve seen all sorts of scenarios over the years, so I don’t like to say for sure either way. I will warn you that you likely have a high chance of needing a c-section, and if your blood pressure starts to spike again I won’t hesitate to deliver her immediately if I need to. They did tell you already that you can’t have solid foods until after delivery, right?” 

Rey frowned and nodded, remembering the restriction one of the nurses had informed her of as they were getting her ready to move rooms. 

“So much for enjoying all the delicious food you two were making earlier today,” she grumbled. 

“We’ll get you the best broth, popsicles, and jello,” Amilyn promised. “With how things could go, I don’t want to take any risks.”

“I understand,” she sighed.

“I’m sure my mom will save you lots of leftovers,” Ben added. 

When Amilyn went to grab a nurse and the medication to start the induction process, Rey felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as things suddenly felt _real_ for the first time since she’d arrived at the hospital. 

“Is it weird to think that we’re going to be leaving the hospital as a family?” she asked Ben quietly. “We hardly know each other, but I feel like I already _know_ you if that makes sense.” 

He moved to sit on the side of her bed and took her hand in his. “It does,” he agreed. “And it may not be the most conventional way to start a family, but I’m looking forward to doing this with you.” 

She smiled at him. “We still need to talk about everything that’s going to happen after you leave First Order for good.” 

“We will, I promise,” he replied. “I’m submitting my two weeks notice after the holidays and I’m hoping to finish out my time there remotely so I don’t have to leave the two of you, especially not with her coming so early. With Snoke out of the picture, I’m sure I’ll be able to work something out.” 

“Alright,” she yawned. 

  
  


**December 24th, 6:19 AM**

  
  


Rey was convinced that sleeping in hospitals wasn’t possible for anyone. Let alone anyone who was having mild contractions all night. After Amilyn had placed the cervidil the previous evening, she’d been able to fall asleep fairly easily, but had woken up nearly every hour from eleven onwards with uncomfortable cramping. From observing Ben when she’d been awake, he hadn’t slept very well either. She’d tried to get him to go home and sleep in her bed at the house, but he insisted on staying by her side. 

“I need coffee,” he grumbled when he woke up the next morning. “Do you want me to get you anything?” 

“No coffee for me, remember,” she motioned towards the blood pressure reading. “I’ll ask for juice when the nurse comes in next.”

Ben nodded and yawned. “I’m going to grab my bag from the car as well, I’ll be back soon.” 

“I thought you were going to do that last night,” Rey laughed as she noticed he was still in his clothing from the previous day.

“I got distracted reading about stuff,” he replied with a shrug. “I didn’t really pack anything for pajamas, I usually just sleep in an undershirt and boxer briefs, if I sleep in anything at all.”

Rey blushed at the memory of his naked figure curled around hers in her bed. 

“Fair enough, hurry back,” she replied. 

He stopped by her bed and kissed her gently before heading out of the room. 

A tall, blonde nurse entered a few moments later with a bright smile on her face. 

“Good morning! I’m Gwen and I’ll be your nurse this shift, how are you doing?” 

Rey adjusted her bed up into a more upright position. “Tired, and a little crampy, but otherwise good.” 

Gwen walked over to the monitors and read the screens. “It looks like your blood pressure has been pretty stable overnight and you’ve been having some mild contractions, which would explain those cramps you’re feeling.” 

“I didn’t even realize,” Rey replied. She’d had some practice contractions over the past month or two, but this had felt more like a lighter version of the cramps she’d get around her period.

The nurse took a section of the paper strip from the machine and showed her part of the graph where there were occasional small peaks. “It’s nothing too strong and they haven’t developed a consistent pattern, but here and here, those are contractions. So your body is doing something, which is good. We always like to see inductions go as smoothly as possible, it makes it easier for mom and baby.” 

Rey had tried to avoid reading too many horror stories about failed inductions during the last few weeks after Amilyn had brought up the possibility, but it hadn’t kept her from reading enough to make her nervous about the potential issues she could face. 

“Your IV bags have been changed recently so those look good,” Gwen continued. “Are your headaches still doing alright?” 

She nodded. “A little pressure, but no more pain.” 

“That’s great,” she replied. “Can I get you anything or do you have any questions?” 

Feeling her stomach grumble she grimaced. “No questions, but I’m starving,” she admitted. “I know I can’t eat, but I’ll take whatever I can have.” 

“The full labor special? On it!” Gwen laughed. “Flavor preferences? Orange? Cherry? Apple?” 

“Cherry jello, apple juice, chicken broth, and surprise me with the popsicle,” Rey decided. 

Gwen gave her a thumbs up. “I can definitely grab you those. Later on, I’ll bring you the prenatal punch, it’s a hit around here. I’ll be back in a few!” 

  
  


****

Ben got lost twice on the way back to his car. Partly due to taking a different route to stop by the cafe for coffee, and the other part was still waiting for the caffeine to kick in so his brain was fully functioning. The cold air of the parking garage and downing half of the coffee as he gathered his bag from the SUV helped wake him up enough to make it back to Rey’s room without getting lost again. 

“I see you found breakfast,” he grinned as he entered to find Rey sitting up in bed, eating a grape popsicle, and watching a rerun of Friends. A bottle of juice, a cup of jello, and a bowl of steaming broth sat on the tray in front of her 

“Hey, this is all I get to eat until after she’s born,” Rey grinned. “Don’t knock my feast.” 

He laughed. “It looks delicious, I’m almost jealous.” 

“No you’re not,” she rolled her eyes. “Come sit and eat breakfast with me.” 

He set his bag down in the corner beside the couch before pulling the rocking chair alongside her bed. 

“You’re still doing okay?” 

Rey nodded. “Tired, but otherwise fine.” 

He looked up at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost been 12 hours, Amilyn should be back soon.” 

As someone who had known next to nothing about pregnancy or labor and delivery, let alone anything dealing with the complications involved, he’d learned more than he ever thought in the past couple of weeks. At first, he’d been curious about a few things, but once he’d learned he was the baby’s father he wanted to know all he could - especially with the issues Rey was facing. He’d stayed up after she’d fallen asleep last night reading more about preeclampsia and inductions and premature births until he made himself put the phone down and go to sleep. 

There was a lot to worry about but he trusted Amilyn, and he knew Rey was getting the best possible care. The last thing she needed was for him to panic. 

He wasn’t going to let him know that he was _maybe_ more than a little worried. 

“Good morning,” Amilyn greeted them both when she arrived just after seven. “How are my favorite parents to be? I’m still in total shock over that news by the way.” 

“Probably not as much as my mother,” he pointed out with a grin. 

“Definitely not,” Amilyn agreed. “How are you doing Rey?” 

“Not too bad,” Rey answered. 

“Oh good,” she smiled. “I’d like to do another internal exam and see where you’re at. I’m noticing some small contractions and that’s a great sign.” 

Ben watched as Amilyn helped Rey slide to the end of the bed and lay on her back before placing her feet flat and letting her knees fall open. 

“You’re about 50% effaced and maybe a little over one centimeter dilated. It’s a small improvement over last night, but we’re moving in the right direction. I’d like to start the second round of cervidil so we can let the steroids have a bit more time and hopefully gain a little more progress before we start Pitocin.” Amilyn explained as she removed her fingers from examining Rey’s cervix. 

“So more sitting around?” Rey frowned. 

“Unfortunately,” Amilyn replied sympathetically. “But, on the bright side, you have some visitors coming soon to celebrate Christmas Eve with you. Leia already texted me twice this morning another how excited she is and asked if the hospital would let her bring a tree.” 

Ben snorted. “Of course she would.” 

Amilyn shrugged and smiled. “Don’t worry, I said probably not. But she compromised on a wreath and a string of lights.” 

  
  


**December 24th, 12:43 PM**

  
  
  


**Mom: So I have a surprise for you this time**

_Ben: You better not be planning to smuggle a tree in, Amilyn already told us that you asked_

**Mom: I’m not that crazy, Benjamin**

**Mom: Your Uncle Luke is here. Before you get upset, your father and I had no idea he was coming. We invite him every year, of course, but he never RSVPs or responds to my multiple requests to do so**

_Ben: Does he know about everything?_

**Mom: He came because he heard about the First Order stuff from Lando, he doesn’t know about the baby yet. I wanted to ask if it was okay to tell him and invite him to the hospital this afternoon? I know things have been strained between you two**

_Ben: That’s fine. I’ve been meaning to reach out to him and apologize, I just didn’t know where to start_

**Mom: He’s really missed you. He knows you are spending time with us now and has already asked twice where you are**

**Mom: I’ll let him know, and we’ll still plan to arrive around two. Is Rey okay with everyone showing up? Chewie isn’t going to come, he says to tell Rey sorry but hospitals give him the heebie-jeebies and he’ll come by the house when she’s home with the baby. How is she doing?**

“Hey, sweetheart,” he called softly over to Rey. “My uncle Luke showed up by surprise, are you okay with him coming this afternoon? Chewie’s apparently too weirded out by hospitals and says he’ll see you and the baby once you’re back home. 

“Of course,” she smiled. “And I totally expected that from Chewie, I don’t blame him at all.”

_Ben: Rey is doing well and she says it’s fine_

**Mom: Oh good! See you soon.**

“When was the last time you saw your uncle?” Rey asked once he put his phone back in his pocket. 

“Over ten years ago,” he answered.

“Are you going to be okay with having him here?” 

He wasn’t entirely sure how it would go, but it was time to bury the past and move on. The thought made him crack a smirk at the tattoo on his bicep. The one he’d gotten when he started at First Order and Snoke had encouraged him to leave everything behind him. Maybe it could have a new meaning now. 

“I will,” he finally answered. “Talking with him will be a good thing.”

Ben looked over a few minutes later to see Rey typing on her phone and grinning widely. 

“What are you doing?” 

Rey set the phone on her lap. “Informing my friends about a couple of things,” she answered casually and then held up a finger and started counting from one silently. 

Her phone rang just after she passed four. 

“Who is it?” he asked 

“Kaydel, I’ll put her on speaker,” Rey said as she answered the call. 

“Rey! You can’t just send me a text message like that and not warn me to sit down first. Holy shit! Are you okay? Do you want me to come back? And Ben’s really the guy from the club? What is going on?” Her friend’s frantic voice came through the phone. 

“Did she breathe at all through any of that?” he muttered causing Rey to laugh. 

“Sorry, Kay,” she said apologetically into the phone. “But I’m fine, you don’t need to hurry back - Ben is here and yes he’s the father.” 

“But when did you even figure it out?” Kaydel asked.

“Sunday morning, I saw the tattoo, remember the one I told you about?” Rey reminded her. 

Ben cringed as Kaydel let out another high pitched squeal. “Oh this is too insane, and I have so many questions but I’m sure you’re trying to rest. Will you keep me updated though? I will come back as soon as I can.” 

“It might take a while, but I’ll let you know,” Rey promised. 

He zoned out for the rest of their conversation and was thankful that Finn and Poe chose to share their enthusiasm over text. The restless sleep from the night before catching up to him as he struggled to keep his eyes open. 

“Ben, you can take a nap, I don’t mind,” Rey assured him. “I’ve been watching you fighting to stay awake for like ten minutes.” 

He nodded and yawned, stretching out on the couch and leaning his head back against the pillow a nurse had given him earlier. 

  
  


**December 24th, 4:18 PM**

  
  
  


His mother and uncle arrived first with bags of food and a few decorations that Leia quickly set to work putting up around the room. 

“Since you’ll either be in labor on Christmas or having a baby, we might as well make it festive,” she grinned as she strung lights along the window sill. 

Ben watched nervously as his Uncle set the bags on the couch and turned to face him. “Hey, kid.” 

“Luke,” he replied. 

“I’m glad you finally got your head out of your ass,” he teased. “And I suppose I owe you thanks for helping Lando.” 

Ben smirked. “I’ll accept your thanks if you accept my apology for being a hot-headed twenty-one-year-old who took entirely too long to pull his head from his ass.” 

Luke stuck out his hand and Ben went to shake it before being pulled into a tight hug. “You were forgiven a long time ago, Benny.” 

“Oh god, not even my mother has called me that since we started talking again,” he groaned.

“Not to your face,” Leia called from across the room. 

Rey giggled from the bed. “Is that what they called you as a kid?” 

“Almost everyone,” Leia replied. 

“I hated it,” Ben added. 

His mother finished taping up the lights and went to sit in the chair beside Rey’s bed. “Speaking of names,” she began. “I know you wanted to wait until you met her to decide, Rey, but have the two of you talked about any ideas?” 

Ben looked at her and shrugged, the subject hadn’t come up yet - with everything else going on, it hadn’t been high on the list.

“I still have no idea,” Rey confessed. “There are a few names that I’ve seen in passing that I haven’t hated, but honestly nothing has jumped out at me so far. Ben and I haven’t even talked about it yet. Honestly, I wasn’t going to worry about it until next month.” 

“Well, if she’s born tomorrow you could name her something related to Christmas,” Luke suggested. “Noelle? Holly?” 

Ben shook his head. “I don’t hate the names, but that’s probably what every other little girl with a Christmas birthday is named.” 

“I agree,” Rey nodded. 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll come up with something wonderful,” Leia replied. “I’m sure you two want to discuss it without extra input.” 

****

When Han arrived, Leia and Amilyn got to work preparing plates of food. Gwen popped in and brought Rey another round of broth and jello, and the prenatal punch she’d promised from earlier. Chairs were pulled around Rey’s bed, and soon everyone was happily eating and talking. 

“Well, this certainly is the most memorable Christmas Eve that we’ve had,” Han mentioned. 

“And next year we get to start celebrating a birthday along with it,” Leia pointed out with a grin. 

Rey made a face. If she were honest with herself, she wasn’t thrilled at the idea that her daughter would have to share a birthday with such a big holiday. 

“Do you think I could go to the 26th?” she asked Amilyn hopefully. 

“I’d say there’s a fair chance. Inductions can take a while,” she replied. “Though you haven’t started having full contractions yet, my dear, you may change your mind about wanting to wait so long to deliver.” 

She didn’t want to think about the hardest part of labor still to come. She’d read about the contractions from the drugs used to induce labor and wasn’t looking forward to experiencing them. 

“We’ll make sure we always celebrate her birthday separately if she is born tomorrow,” Ben promised. 

“Absolutely,” Leia agreed as she stood up from her spot on the couch. “We should probably get out of here and let you rest up, call me at any time if you need me for anything.” 

“I will,” she replied   
  


Ben’s family left and Amilyn was called shortly after into another delivery leaving the room strangely empty and quiet until a new nurse came in shortly after and introduced herself as Jyn. 

“I’m just going to check on your stats and replace the bags on your IV tree,” Jyn explained. “Can I get you anything else?” 

“I’m good, thanks,” she smiled softly. 

After making sure everything was fine, Jyn disappeared again after promising to come back later to see how they were doing. 

Rey reached for her phone, reminded of something she wanted to look up from an earlier conversation. Luke’s comment about having a Christmas themed name had stuck with her, and while she agreed with Ben about not wanting to use an obvious choice, she thought it might be a good starting point to look at ideas inspired by the holiday and see if anything jumped out at her. 

“What do you think of Ivy?” she asked Ben. 

He pointed at the bags of fluid the nurse had just changed out and the tubing running into her hand. “That IV?” 

She scrunched her nose. “Well, I meant like the plant Ivy, as a name idea. Never mind though.” 

“I don’t hate how it sounds, but now I’ll never be able to not associate it with a medical IV.” 

“Agreed,” she laughed. 

Turning her attention back towards the list she scrolled down the list a bit further and another name caught her eye. Handing her phone to Ben, he smiled and nodded. 

“It’s perfect.” 

  
  


**December 24th, 7:22 PM**

“You’re almost fully effaced now, but there wasn’t much change in dilation,” Amilyn explained as she finished the internal exam after the second round of cervidil was through that evening. “You’re making progress though.”

“What happens now?” she asked nervously. 

“I was considering starting you on Pitocin tonight, but you’ve been pretty stable and I think it would be best to let you get a good night’s sleep, Amilyn explained. “I’ll come in and get you going around six tomorrow morning, is that alright?” 

She nodded. “That will start the real contractions then?” 

“Based on how your body is responding so far, I think there’s a fair chance this will kick start labor for you, yes,” Amilyn agreed. “If it doesn’t, we’ll have to re-evaluate your options, though, and that very likely will mean scheduling a cesarean.” 

“At this point, I’m alright with whatever is best for both of us, I’m really worried about her,” Rey confessed. 

Amilyn placed her hand on her shoulder. “She is doing fantastic, her heart rate has been staying consistently in a good range, she’s moving regularly, everything we want to see.” 

“And Rey?” Ben asked quietly from beside her. “Is she going to be alright?” 

She looked over to see his worried expression and smiled softly. 

“She’s doing pretty well too, we’re watching her so closely, and I won’t hesitate to act fast if I need to,” Amilyn assured him. “I’m not on call tonight, but my colleague Dr. Ackbar is and I trust him to make quick decisions until I can get here, I already discussed everything with him and he’s on the same page.” 

“Thank you.” Rey felt her nerves ease a little. 

“Let me get everything set up, and we’ll get this show on the road, okay?” Amilyn said as she began heading towards the door. 

Rey glanced over at Ben and the two of them shared a nervous smile. 

Tomorrow was going to be a big day. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***explanations and spoilers***
> 
> The first part of the chapter has the Han and Leia reveal (and telling Amilyn as well) and can be read without any medical talk up until Leia says "we can leave if you need privacy"
> 
> The chapter spans roughly 24 hours from the night of 12/23 through the night of 12/24. Rey is given two rounds of a medicine that will help get her body for labor (each round lasts 12 hours). At the end of the chapter, it's decided that Rey will get a good night's sleep and start drugs to start the contractions early on Christmas morning. 
> 
> Other big details: Luke shows up and he and Ben share a moment, Rey texts her friends about Ben being the father and about the baby coming soon, and Ben and Rey decide on a name for the baby (but it's not revealed yet to the readers...)
> 
> ***end spoilers***
> 
> I probably won’t tell you if you get it right so it can be a surprise, but I’m curious if anyone has a guess on the baby name? I did find it on a Christmas inspired list, and we’ve already knocked out Holly, Noelle, and Ivy.... 
> 
> (And those of you who may have seen me share it on the Discord can’t guess 🤣)
> 
> And finally - thank you so much for trusting my pacing on this story, especially in regards to important discussions. I know I haven’t addressed everything yet (particularly with Ben and his past with Snoke, there’s definitely a lot he needs to deal with) but I have it all planned out and I’m not just skimming over things. Our two faves are falling for one another but they aren’t going to forget their past issues and get married next week and carry-on as if nothing bad had happened to them. I have time skip epilogues (yes, more than one!) planned for a reason!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!
> 
> Their little family grows by one more with the arrival of baby Solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting! 
> 
> The entire chapter covers Rey’s labor, delivery, and a couple of hours after where she faces a complication. It’s easily skippable if that’s not your thing. I reveal the baby’s name in the very last paragraph with no medical/birth-related info around that part so you can scroll down to that and then I'll have chapter twelve up soon!
> 
> For those that do plan to read, I have some endnotes for a few disclaimers at the end <3
> 
> Also...the next four chapter updates will likely be just a tiny bit more spaced apart as we near the holidays (and I have chapter one of another fic due to start posting next Monday for a Hallmark inspired collection that I need to spend time on too). I am still planning to get through the current timeline chapters (12 and 13) done this week/weekend and then the two epilogue chapters (14 and 15) after that (but probably after Christmas) 💛

****

* * *

**  
December 25th, 5:38 AM**

“Merry Christmas,” a soft voice came from beside her. 

Rey yawned and opened her eyes to see a nurse standing at her bedside looking at her monitor. “Merry Christmas, what time is it?” 

“Just before 5:40, I’m Ahsoka and I’ll be your nurse for the morning,” she introduced herself. “It seems like you were able to get a good night’s sleep, I came in to check in on you a few times since I started my shift late last night and you hardly stirred. Your husband, on the other hand, the poor guy is a trooper to sleep on that tiny couch at his size.” 

She glanced over and smiled softly at Ben who lay curled up on his side on the couch under the window. “He’s not my husband, we’re having a baby together but we’re still getting to know each other. It’s a long story.” 

Rey wasn’t sure why she felt like she had to clarify that detail, but Ahsoka simply nodded and smiled as though it were a perfectly reasonable explanation. 

“Well, he really seems to care about you,” she confided. “He woke up during my two AM visit and wanted to make sure you were okay, it was really sweet.” 

A feeling of warmth spread through her chest. 

“Dr. Holdo will be in a little after six, but I wanted to see if you needed me to help you take a shower before we get things going. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to have another before you deliver, especially if you have an epidural, did you plan on getting one?” 

Rey nodded. She hadn’t put much thought into a birth plan but knew she was open to any pain management if offered. “A shower would be great, thanks.” 

“Let's go ahead and get that started, I’ll assist you if you’re comfortable, you’re probably going to be a little unsteady on your feet and we don’t want to risk you falling,” she explained. “Is that alright?”

“That’s fine,” she agreed. 

Ben was awake when she emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, and wearing a new hospital gown. The nurse had helped her brush her hair into a ponytail and slip on the thick socks with grips on the bottom. Walking felt weird, as though her legs had forgotten how to work. Rey gripped the pole of her IV tree tightly, letting Ahsoka hold her other arm as she slowly made her way back to the bed. 

“Good Morning,” he yawned. 

“Good morning,” she replied. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart. I have something for you to open once you’re settled,” he explained. “I almost gave it to you yesterday, but I thought you might want a present for Christmas morning too.”

She smiled. “I have a gift for you as well, but it was delayed in shipping and the tracking said it would be delivered last night, I need to ask your mom if it arrived.”

“I can ask her for you, she’s already up and texting me for updates,” Ben said as he rolled his eyes. 

Ahsoka chuckled as she helped Rey back into the bed. “Excited grandmothers are fun, we get some pretty enthusiastic ones around here. Will she be at the birth?” 

She looked at Ben and shrugged. “I was planning to ask her if you don’t mind?” 

“It’s entirely your decision, I’m sure she would be honored,” Ben answered. 

She smiled and reached for her phone just to the side of her bed, and typed out a message. 

_Rey: Good morning and Merry Christmas!_

**Leia: Good morning, Dear! Merry Christmas to you too. I was just texting Ben to see how you were doing?**

_Rey: They let me take a shower, and Amilyn is going to be here soon._

**Leia: She’s on her way, I already chatted with her.**

**Leia: Is there anything you need me to bring later today?**

_Rey: Was there a package delivered yesterday for me? I’m expecting a present for Ben that was supposed to arrive._

**Leia: There was, I’ll bring that when I come. Anything else?**

_Rey: Whatever you think you might need for spending an indeterminate amount of hours in a hospital room watching the birth of your granddaughter._

_Rey: If you’d like to, of course. Ben and I would love to have you here._

Instead of another text alert, her phone began to ring.

“Are you serious?” 

She could hear the smile in the woman’s voice from the other end of the line. 

“Completely, I was always planning on asking you to be here, even before I knew Ben was the father,” she explained

“Thank you so much, dear, this means the world to me,” Leia replied excitedly. “I’ll come whenever you are ready.” 

“I’m not sure how things work with inductions, why don’t I have Ben text you after things are started,” she suggested. 

“Sounds perfect,” Leia answered. “I’ll see you soon.” 

She hung up the phone and set it down on the tray to the side of her bed. 

“Is there anything I can get for you before I leave? Are you hungry?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Maybe some more cherry jello, I'm not super hungry right now,” she admitted. The nerves of the upcoming day were making her stomach uneasy and eating was the last thing on her mind.

Ahsoka nodded. “I’ll be right back.” 

"This is for you," Ben said as he approached her with a large gift bag in his hand.

“Did you have that hidden in your suitcase?” she asked with a curious smile. 

“No, I went and got it from my car last night after you fell asleep,” he admitted. “I asked my mom for some ideas, so I hope it’s what you wanted. We can always exchange it if not.” 

“I don’t have your gift yet,” she frowned.

He set the bag down on her lap. “That doesn't matter at all, I want to see what you think,” he said gently. 

“Alright,” she laughed and began pulling the white tissue paper from the top before spying the bright floral print underneath the wrapping. Immediately, she recognized the diaper bag she’d fallen in love with, at least until she’d seen the expensive price tag. Leia must have remembered and sent the link to Ben. 

“Is it the right one?” he asked nervously. 

She nodded slowly and swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s perfect, but it’s so much - you didn’t need to -” 

“It’s nothing, really,” he assured her. “Look inside, I put something else in there.”

Carefully she lifted the flap and found an envelope inside the main compartment. Ripping it open, she grinned when she saw the Nordstrom gift card. 

“You can, uh, use it for clothes to wear after she’s here and I did a little research and they carry some popular brands of nursing bras if you needed some, or whatever you want, I just wanted to help out in some way and my mom said you’d already gotten most of what you needed for the baby,” he explained.

“This is perfect, and so thoughtful of you, really,” she smiled through watery eyes. “I hadn’t even begun thinking about what I’ll wear after she’s born, I was putting so much off until January.” 

“Merry Christmas!” Amilyn announced as she swept into the room, followed by Ahsoka who had a tray with Rey’s jello and a fresh jug of ice water. “I heard you slept well last night, Rey, that’s fantastic. How are you feeling this morning?” 

“A little better with the sleep and the shower I just took, but I'm still pretty tired,” she confessed. 

“You’ve had a lot going on, it's no surprise that you feel exhausted,” Amilyn explained. “I’m going to let you eat and drink, and then we’ll do another internal exam and get this show on the road, alright?” 

She felt nervous again. “Alright.”

Amilyn checked her cervix again after she’d finished her breakfast, and found that she hadn’t made any further progress overnight.

“I’d like to give Pitocin a try and see if we can get some regular contractions to move things along. If not, we can always reevaluate and go from there,” Amilyn explained. “Ahsoka is going to get you all set up with the Pitocin drip. It usually takes a few hours for things to really get going, but it could take longer. Do you have any other questions for me?” 

She shook her head. “Will I still be able to get an epidural with all of this?” 

“I don’t see why not,” Amilyn smiled. “Though an epidural can slow contractions down and even stall progress, let's wait and see how you’re doing when things get more intense, okay?”

Rey nodded. “Okay.” 

Twenty minutes later she and Ben were alone in the room. Nothing had changed since they started the Pitocin and she couldn’t help but shake the feeling like she was sitting in the calm before the storm. 

Looking over at Ben she caught his eye and smiled at his bed head. 

“Did you want to shower? I’m sure you can take one here,” she suggested before realizing that her question may have sounded rude. “I’m not saying you stink at all, I hope I didn’t come off that way.”

He chuckled at her reaction. “I didn’t think that’s what you were implying, but I probably do smell pretty bad, it’s been a couple of days. Are you sure you don’t mind?” 

“Not at all, you could even go to your parent’s house if you wanted to. Amilyn said it would take at least a few hours for things to start happening.” 

“I’ll be fine here,” he assured her.

She watched as he unzipped his suitcase and sorted through the folded clothes before picking out a clean outfit and closing the top again. He stopped by her bed and kissed her softly on the lips, curling the side of his mouth into a hint of a smile as they parted.

“Go, I’ll be alright, and then go get some coffee. The nurse said you were up a lot last night,” she said as she kissed him again. 

“It wasn’t too much, but coffee probably is a good idea,” he agreed. “Should we text my mom to come soon?” 

“I’ll do that while you’re doing your stuff,” Rey replied. 

Ben nodded. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”   
  


**December 25th, 10:12 AM**

The contractions started picking up about an hour after Leia had arrived and almost exactly three hours to the minute after the first dose of Pitocin was administered. The cramping had gradually built up between the second and third hours and was now a noticeable sensation, starting in the small of her back and wrapping around her lower stomach like an uncomfortably tight hug. It wasn’t painful yet, more annoying than anything, but according to the monitor, they were coming roughly every six to seven minutes and Amilyn had been pleased with that progress at her last visit to check-in on her. 

She’d spent the morning texting updates to her friends, watching sitcom reruns, and shopping on her phone with Leia to take her mind off of the anxiety over waiting. Ben had loved the custom coffee tumbler she'd ordered for him with the words _Best Dad in the Galaxy_ engraved across the front and had immediately rinsed it out and poured in the rest of his coffee from his to-go cup. 

As the morning grew later she found herself yawning more and more often. Her body was tired, but her nerves made it hard to relax. Finally giving in to her exhaustion, she closed her eyes and felt herself drift off to sleep. 

She was woken by an intense cramp less than twenty minutes later, followed quickly by a gush of fluid.

“Oh shit,” she yelped as the bed beneath her quickly became damp.

“Is everything okay?” Ben asked as he crossed the room quickly to reach her side. 

“I’m pretty sure my water just broke,” she whispered. “Or I wet the bed and I really hope that wasn’t the case because I’d be so mortified.” 

He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll call the nurse.” 

Instead of Ahsoka, Gwen appeared with a smile on her face. “Well hello again, I hear we may have had our water break? Can you tell me what happened?” 

“I was sleeping and then a painful cramp woke me up and the next thing I knew everything underneath me was wet,” she explained with a blush. 

Gwen grinned. “That certainly sounds like it, let’s get you fresh sheets and I’ll page Dr. Holdo,” she replied. 

Ben helped her turn to her side as Gwen made quick work of the wet bedding, easily replacing it with dry sheets. 

“You okay?” he asked as he rubbed her back while she leaned against him. 

“Yeah,” she murmured. “Just embarrassed.”

“Don’t worry, we see it all and more,” Gwen assured her. “But, you definitely didn’t wet the bed. It looks like things are really getting on their way now.” 

Amilyn appeared ten minutes later and performed another internal exam. 

“Fully effaced, almost to three centimeters, it looks like you’re moving along pretty well. How are the contractions?” 

“The one before my water broke and the one I’ve had since then is the strongest I’ve felt so far, but they’re not overwhelming yet,” she explained. 

“This may pick things up pretty quickly, or they may not, we’ll just have to see,” Amilyn told her as she pulled the blankets back over her lower half. “I need to go back and check-in on another patient who is about to start pushing, but I’ll be back later. Try and keep resting, alright? I know it’s hard, but you’re doing such a good job.” 

Amilyn’s warning that things could pick up quickly was right. Within an hour, the strong cramping sensation had become an unbearable wave of pain that came every five minutes without fail. Wincing and groaning, she gripped the rail of her bed with the hand not attached to her IV as another contraction hit. 

“Do you need to call for Gwen or Amilyn?” Leia asked softly as Rey took a deep breath when the feeling subsided. 

“I don’t know,” she replied. “It hasn’t been that long, but I don't know if I can get through many more of these. I’m just so exhausted.” 

Leia stroked her hair off her head. “No one is going to think any less of you if you request your epidural now, you’ve had a long couple of days and your body is really tired.” 

Rey knew Leia was right and let out a deep breath. “Okay.” 

****

**December 25th, 12:27 PM**

Ben was glad Rey requested the pain relief when she did. It took over an hour for the anesthesiologist to arrive and by that point the contractions were even more intense and closer together, coming less than every four minutes. Watching her try and breathe through each intense wave was difficult, her entire body shook as her face strained from the intensity. 

His mother went to get lunch for the two of them while the epidural was placed. Rey sat on the edge of the bed facing him, bracing herself against his chest as he held her shoulders and breathed slowly to manage the pain of another contraction. 

“Are you good with needles?” The anesthesiologist asked. “I’ve had more than a few dads hit the ground watching this.” 

Ben nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be alright.” 

He focused on the top of Rey’s head, only partially paying attention to the procedure. The glimpse he caught made him understand why the doctor made sure he was alright with needles, the one currently going into her back was not for the faint of heart. 

“It stings,” she whined. 

“It’ll be better really soon,” the doctor assured her. “I”m almost done and then it should start taking effect in fifteen minutes, give or take.” 

Once the epidural was in place, they both guided her back onto the bed and he covered her with blankets. 

“Thanks,” she smiled softly. 

“Always happy to ease some pain,” the doctor replied. “Dr. Holdo should be in shortly.” 

**December 25th, 4:07 PM**

“You’re basically at a ten,” Amilyn laughed as she withdrew her fingers from performing another internal exam. “There’s a tiny lip, but you’re almost there. I definitely wasn’t expecting that.” 

Rey’s eyes went wide and she looked over at him. 

“So much for trying to make it until the 26th,” she sighed. 

Shortly after the epidural had taken effect, she’d announced that she was totally okay if her labor slowed down as long as the drugs kept working. Amilyn had come in to check on her right after and she was barely over three centimeters at that point. 

That had only been a few hours ago. 

“I’m going to let a few people know we’re about ready to start pushing, and I’ll be back,” Amilyn said as she stood. “It’s time to have this baby.”

He stood holding her hand for over two hours as Rey struggled through pushing. Her contractions were coming nearly one on top of the other and an hour into it, the epidural had begun to fade. 

“It’s not working on my left side,” she moaned. “It hurts so bad, make it stop.”

He didn’t know how to help her, and hearing her in so much pain was difficult. 

“You’re doing so well,” he leaned over and kissed her head. 

“It’s almost over, Rey,” Amilyn’s reassuring voice came from the end of the bed. “I can see her head.” 

“Really?” Ben found himself asking. 

“Have a look,” she motioned. 

He leaned forward, getting the first look at his daughter. 

“She has hair,” he grinned as he looked back at Rey. 

“She needs to get her and her hair out of my body,” Rey groaned. 

“Another big push, okay?” Amilyn encouraged her.

Thirty-two minutes and several tough pushes later their daughter arrived at 6:26 PM, tiny and loud and with a head full of dark hair. He watched as she was immediately looked over by the NICU nurses who were present as they examined her against Rey’s chest. One of the nurses placed a snug pink cap on her head and he smiled as she buried her little face into her mother’s skin. 

Once they confirmed that she was stable and doing alright, Amilyn had him cut the cord and the baby was taken to be weighed and measured while Rey finished the delivery. Ben followed the nurses to the scale, standing just off to the side as they took the necessary measurements and tests.

“Five pounds, two ounces, eighteen and a half inches, she looks great,” one of the women informed him with a smile. 

“She’s so tiny,” he murmured as he watched them put a diaper and shirt on her, before swaddling her in a clean blanket and placing the pink cap back on her head. 

“Would you like to hold her, Dad?” the nurse asked. 

He nodded slowly and held his arms out, letting the woman place his daughter in his arms. 

“It’s the best feeling isn’t it?” His mother came up beside him. 

He swallowed and nodded, studying her tiny face. It was hard to tell who she looked like, but he knew she was the most beautiful baby he’d ever seen. 

“Let’s go see your mommy, okay little one?” he whispered.

Rey grinned up at him as he carefully carried the baby over to her bed. “You look like a natural.” 

“Do you want to hold her?” he asked.

“Yes, please. I haven’t gotten a good look at her yet,” she replied. “What were her stats? I couldn’t hear them say.” 

“Five pounds, two ounces, and eighteen and a half inches,” he told her as he placed the baby in her arms. 

“She’s so perfect,” Rey smiled. 

“You both are,” he murmured as he kissed her softly. 

  
  


Their peaceful moment passed moments later when things made a sudden turn for the worse. 

One minute Rey was smiling with their daughter cradled against her chest, and the next minute he watched as Amilyn motioned for one of the nurses to come and take the baby. 

“What’s going on?” Rey asked, watching fearfully as the baby was gently removed from her arms.

“Your uterus isn’t contracting back down on its own, I’m going to need to help manipulate it manually or you could risk hemorrhaging,” Amilyn explained. “It’s probably best that you aren’t holding her right now.”

He watched as Amilyn’s hand began to push firmly on her lower stomach and his heart dropped as Rey began to shriek in pain. 

“Please stop,” she begged. “It hurts so much.” 

Amilyn looked at the nurse beside her with concern on her face. “She’s losing a lot of blood.”

Ben’s eyes dropped to the towels beneath Rey and he realized just how serious things were. His head spun as he staggered back and sat on the couch. 

“Do you need to step out?” his mother asked softly. 

He shook his head quickly. “I don’t want to leave her.” 

Leia patted his back and he squeezed his eyes shut and took slow breaths as Rey continued to scream in the background. 

“Would you like to hold her?” A nurse asked as she brought the baby over to him.

He shook his head and looked at his mother. “Can you? I think I’m too nervous right now, I don’t want to drop her.” 

“I’d love to,” Leia murmured. 

Ben watched as the nurse placed his daughter in his mother’s arms, the older woman’s face instantly lighting up as she observed her tiny features. 

“She looks like you,” she smiled. “I see Rey too, but her eyes and mouth remind me of yours.” 

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” he admitted. 

Leia snorted. “Do any of us?” 

Rey let out another agonizing cry and the activity surrounding her bed went into a flurry as her monitors began beeping. 

“Blood pressure dropping,” one of the nurses commented. 

He didn’t remember what was said next, only that Amilyn started asking for something to be administered quickly and his heart began to race. Standing quickly, he rushed past the commotion and out the door. 

He fully broke down as soon as he was in the hallway, sinking to the floor with his back against the wall and his head against his knees. Leia appeared shortly after and sat beside him, rubbing his back as he took shaky breaths. 

“I left the baby with one of the nurses, you need me more right now,” she said softly. 

“How is it possible to fall in love with someone so quickly?” 

“Your daughter? Or Rey?” Leia asked knowingly. 

“My daughter,” he answered. “But I think I could fall in love with Rey too.” 

“Sometimes it just is,” she replied. “When it’s your child, it’s almost immediate. It was for me when I had you.” 

“What if they aren’t okay?” he asked after a moment. 

“The baby is doing well, and I’m sure Rey will be too, they are both in good hands,” she assured him. “Are you okay? You’ve had a lot to deal with lately and I think you’ve buried a lot of emotions, Ben.” 

“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. 

Leia sighed. “Have you let yourself really process everything that Snoke put you through though? I know you’ve thrown yourself into working with Lando, getting to know Rey, and then everything with the baby. But honey, you can’t ignore the ten years of manipulation and abuse that man put you through.” 

His mother was right. He didn’t want to deal with those emotions. It seemed so much easier to shove them deep in a box in the back of his brain when he knew it would only hurt him more to ignore them. 

“I can’t think about it now.” 

“And I don’t expect you to,” she agreed. “But I think you should consider talking with Maz again soon.”

He looked over at his mother with a wide-eyed expression. Maz has been the counselor they’d had him see as a teenager when he’d been in a particularly difficult stage. The woman was ancient then, it was hard to believe she still had her practice. 

“She’s still alive?” 

Leia rolled her eyes. “Of course she is,” she scoffed. “Think about it, okay? I also think it would help your father and me to have a few sessions with you too. I know we have our own issues to resolve as a family.” 

“I will," he promised.

Amilyn emerged from the room with a look of tired relief on her face. He felt his stomach turn as he noticed that her scrubs were spattered in blood and the older woman squeezed his shoulder. 

“She lost a lot of blood and passed out, but she’s okay and she’s stable,” she explained. “I don’t think she’ll need a transfusion, but she’ll be weak for a bit. She’s going to need a lot to help to care for the baby over the next couple of days.” 

“But she’ll be okay? They’ll both be okay?” he asked quietly. 

“Your daughter is doing fantastic, she’s small but otherwise seems to be fine. That doesn’t mean she’s entirely out of the woods yet for additional assistance, but she’ll be regularly checked on and the care here is fantastic should she need any help,” Amilyn replied. 

He nodded. “And Rey?” 

“She’s going to be okay, I promise,” she assured him. 

“Whenever you are ready, we should go back in there,” Leia added. “Would it help to hold your daughter?” 

“Yeah,” he took a deep breath. “I think it would.” 

**December 25th, 7:52 PM**

Ben sat nervously watching Rey sleep, the monitors softly beeping in the background of the otherwise quiet hospital room. His mother sat beside him on the couch, quietly reading a book. She’d insisted on staying, not wanting to leave him alone until they knew Rey was okay. The baby lay snug in his arms, making soft little grunts as she slept. 

Just after eight Rey began to stir, finally opening her eyes and glancing over in his direction. 

“You’re awake,” he smiled. “How are you doing?” 

“What happened?” she asked softly. “I just remember a lot of pain, and then nothing.” 

“You had trouble after the delivery and lost a lot of blood,” he explained. “I don’t know how to describe exactly what happened, I kind of panicked.” 

She nodded and looked at their daughter. “Is she doing okay?” 

“She’s perfect,” Ben assured her. “They want to bathe her soon. I asked to wait until you were up so you didn’t miss it.” 

Rey grinned. “Thank you.” 

He stood slowly, making sure the baby was supported, and went to stand beside Rey’s bed. 

“I haven’t told anyone the name we picked out yet, I think it suits her but I wanted to see what you thought first,” he mentioned. “Are you able to sit up and hold her?” 

Rey grunted and tried to pull herself up slightly before letting out a sigh. 

Leia came over and reached for the controls. “Let me help,” she replied as she pressed the button that lifted the head of the bed into a reclined position. 

When Rey was more upright, he placed their daughter in her waiting arms. “Got her?” 

“Yeah,” she smiled before looking down at their daughter’s face. “I agree, the name fits her.” 

“Do I finally get to know?” Leia asked with a teasing sigh. 

Ben looked at Rey. “Do you want to tell her?” 

Rey nodded and smiled at their daughter. “This is Evangeline Claire, we’re planning to call her Evie for short,” she replied. 

“Oh! I love it,” his mother smiled. 

“Uncle Luke’s Christmas themed idea was a good starting point,” Ben admitted. “Rey found Evangeline in an online article of name suggestions for babies born around this time of year.” 

“It means good tidings or good news,” Rey explained. “And Claire means clear and bright.” 

Ben looked down at Evie’s face and smiled. 

Finding out that she was really his was the best news he’d had all year. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are definitely things I left out, a few things I changed around to make this a little different than my own story, and a second major complication I left out after birth (you're welcome for that, btw). Sorry for all the birth talk, the fun and fluff and family and friend visits and all that returns next chapter!
> 
> Also, full disclaimer, my daughter was born a little bit further along (still early and not much bigger) but she didn’t need any NICU time and I have not written Rey’s baby as needing any either. At 35 weeks it seems to go either way (a relative delivered all of her babies between 34-35 weeks and they all went home with her within a couple of days, but I know others who have needed their little ones to spend time there for various things). Rey’s baby, like my own, will have some feeding issues and jaundice mentioned in the next chapter, but as I don’t have experience with an infant in the NICU I didn’t feel comfortable writing about such a sensitive topic. 
> 
> Loved all the guesses on the names (and that there was one guess close to the middle name).
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby Solo meets a few more members of the family and Ben and Rey begin adjusting to life as new parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and commenting! 
> 
> CW for lots of breastfeeding talk in this chapter and a discussion between Ben and Rey where they talk about the choice she made to keep an unexpected pregnancy. 
> 
> Also, I’m making some changes to the story - see endnotes for more details!

* * *

  
“She’s small.”

Ben chuckled at his father’s opinion of his new granddaughter while his mother let out an exasperated groan. 

“Of _course_ she’s small, Han, she’s a baby,” Leia sighed. 

Han rolled his eyes in response. “Jeez Princess, the last infant I held was that one over there,” he nodded towards Ben. “And he was practically double this size.” 

“You were a big baby,” Leia agreed before turning to Rey who was still lying in her hospital bed. “He weighed well over nine pounds and was twenty-three inches long, with all the hair he had people thought he was three months old at two weeks.” 

“The two of you did a good job,” Han commented after a moment, his eyes fixed on Evie’s sleeping face. “She’s a pretty good looking kid - gets it from me.” 

Just then the little girl began to stir and fuss, her tiny features twisting into a grimace as she whimpered. Seeing Han’s panicked look, Ben stepped over and gently took Evie, cradling her in the crook of his arm and shushing her while rocking her gently side to side. 

“When did you last try feeding her?” Leia asked.

“An hour or so ago, right before you came,” Rey answered. “I don’t know how much she got though, she’s struggling a bit with her latch so they’re having a lactation consultant come by this afternoon.” 

There had been something incredibly personal and intimate about watching Rey nurse Evie for the first time. After her bath the night before, the nurse had brought their daughter over and placed her against Rey’s chest. Evie had begun fussing and rooting around immediately so the nurse had guided her onto the nipple, showing Rey how to hold her breast to encourage a latch. He wasn’t sure if he’d look at a sandwich the same way again, but the look of wonder on Rey’s face as Evie successfully nursed for the first time would definitely stick with him for the rest of his life. 

As he continued to rock her side to side, her tiny whimpers and fusses faded away and she settled back to sleep. 

“Can we go and get you two some lunch somewhere?” Leia asked. “Burgers maybe?” 

Rey immediately perked up and nodded. “Yes please!” 

“I’m fine with that too,” he added. 

Aside from the meal his mother had brought in for their Christmas Eve dinner, he’d been eating all of his meals at the hospital since Rey was admitted. Mostly the odd sandwich or pastry with coffee at the cafe cart just outside the maternity wing and the occasional snack from the vending machine down the hall.

“Perfect,” his mother smiled. “I’ll take your father with me so you can have some privacy if she needs to nurse again. Text me what you want from BeeBee’s Burgers.” 

Once they left, Ben sat in the rocking chair to the side of Rey’s bed with Evie still firmly tucked in his arms. 

“How are you doing?” he asked softly. 

“I’m alright,” she replied. “I feel like my entire head is in a fog and it’s really frustrating to not be able to get up and help out with her.”

Due to Rey’s preeclampsia, they were keeping her on the magnesium sulfate for twenty-four hours following Evie’s birth. Being tethered to an IV pole and on medication that made her feel weak on top of recovering from giving birth meant she wasn’t allowed out of bed, much to her annoyance.

He had been the one to change Evie’s first diaper and it was nothing like he had expected. No one had warned him that an infant’s first poop looked like tar in both color and consistency. He hadn’t read far enough about newborns yet to know it was a normal occurrence and thankfully, Rey had explained things to him before he’d called a nurse in a panic. 

Evie began to fuss again in his arms and rotated her tiny head to bob against his chest.

Rey held out her arms. “Here, I’ll try feeding her again.”

“You got her?” he asked as he carefully transferred the tiny infant. 

“Yeah,” she murmured as she adjusted the front of her hospital gown, exposing her breast to the cool air of the room. Placing her hand just as the nurse had shown her, she squeezed gently as she encouraged Evie to take the proffered nipple between her tiny lips. Ben watched as his daughter took a few attempts to get her mouth latched on before finally succeeding on the fourth try. The faint sounds of her suckling and tiny little gasps and grunts filled the otherwise silent room as he and Rey both sat still, afraid to move or speak in fear that she’d unlatch again. 

“I think she’s doing okay this time,” Rey whispered after a moment and then made a face. “At least it feels like she’s getting something, this kind of hurts.” 

Evie took that moment to pop off the breast and make a whimper of protest. 

“Do you need help?” he asked, remembering how the nurse had assisted Rey the night before and earlier that morning in making sure Evie stayed latched on correctly. “I mean, I don’t know what I’m doing but I know it helped to have an extra set of hands earlier.”

She nodded. “Maybe try supporting the back of her head for me?” 

Ben crossed to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge before placing his hand at the back of her tiny pink head. Rey placed her nipple against Evie’s tiny lips, squeezing gently to express a drop of colostrum as an incentive to get the little girl to suck. It worked, and soon she had latched back on again. 

“I almost didn’t keep her,” Rey added after a moment as she gazed down at Evie’s face.

In the back of his mind, he’d been wondering how she had decided to keep a baby from an unknown one night stand at barely twenty. It wasn’t a decision that would have been easy to make and he didn’t know if he would have made the same choice in her position. 

“How did you decide?” he found himself asking quietly. 

“After I found out I was pregnant, I was so overwhelmed that I pushed it to the back of my mind. I thought that if I didn’t think about it, it would somehow go away.” She paused and adjusted her nipple back into Evie’s mouth waiting for the little girl to begin suckling again before she continued. “Then I started spotting at eight weeks and instead of the relief I thought I’d feel, I was terrified. All I could think about the entire ride to the clinic and while waiting for Amilyn to perform that first ultrasound is that I wanted so desperately for everything to be fine. Seeing her tiny form and the flicker of the heartbeat made me realize that I wanted to give her a chance and try and be a better mother to her than my parents were to me.” 

He placed his hand on top of hers. “I’m thankful she’s here, but I wouldn’t have blamed you for choosing another option.”

She nodded and turned her hand over to weave her fingers between his. “I appreciate that,” she said softly. 

Evie had stilled, falling back into a deep sleep as her head rolled away from Rey’s breast, her little mouth open partway as she snored softly. Rey readjusted her top before shifting the little girl upright, gently rubbing her back as she curled against her chest. Ben leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and smiled against her head as he realized she’d slipped her hand back into his. 

“Knock knock,” Leia’s voice called out as she and Han entered the room with greasy bottomed bags and a drink carrier containing four whipped cream and cherry-topped milkshakes. “We’ve got your dinner!” 

Ben chuckled as Rey’s eyes lit up and she let go of his hand to shift her tray across the middle of the bed while keeping her other arm around Evie. 

“Do you want me to take her so you can eat?” he asked. 

“I’ll take her, you two need to eat far more than your father and me,” Leia announced as she began unpacking the bags, bringing a cardboard boat with a burger and large portion of fries and a milkshake to Rey. “Chocolate, right?” 

Rey nodded. “This looks amazing, thank you.” 

Leia set the drink on the tray and reached down to lift Evie into her arms. “You’re very welcome, you two take as long as you need,” she told them as she pressed a kiss to the top of her granddaughter’s head. “I haven’t snuggled this little one nearly enough today.” 

Ben grabbed his own food and drink and sat in the rocking chair, watching as Rey eagerly ate and his mother swayed across the room humming an indiscernible song to her granddaughter. His father came and sat on the couch beside him with a grunt. 

“How are you doing with all this?” Han asked as he took a bite of the thick bacon-topped burger. 

“Good, I hope,” he answered. “I’m still processing most of it, to be honest.” 

His father nodded. “Your mom told me about yesterday, that would have scared the shit out of me too. I think her idea about going and seeing, uh, Maz, is reasonable. It’s not really my thing, but you know -” he trailed off and cleared his throat. 

“It’s probably necessary,” Ben finished softly. “I know.” 

****

Rey watched as Ben gently buckled Evie into the car seat, carefully tightening the straps and positioning the chest clip the same way the nurse had shown them earlier. 

After three additional days in the hospital, they were finally ready to leave. Her body still had a long way to go towards recovery, but the after-effects from preeclampsia and post-delivery hemorrhaging had finally improved enough for Amilyn to feel confident to send her home. 

Doctor Kelonia, the pediatrician Rey had chosen, had also signed off on Evie’s release during her check-up earlier that morning. They had experienced a few feeding issues, and Evie was diagnosed with a mild case of jaundice, but there was nothing that required any additional care. Rey would continue to work with a lactation consultant and use a nipple shield to help her nurse, and Evie would require being woken up to eat every few hours until she wasn’t as sleepy, but she’d stayed within an acceptable weight range and had passed her car seat test on the second attempt. 

“Is this good?” 

Ben brought their daughter over to the bed in her car seat, holding it up for her to inspect. 

Rey ran a finger gently over one of the nylon straps. “It’s perfect,” she assured him. “Besides, you must have asked the nurse a dozen questions when she was explaining how everything needed to fit properly. I trust you, Ben.” 

“Okay.” He nodded quickly. “Okay. Good. She’s just so tiny, I want to make sure everything is perfect.” 

At her current weight of four pounds, fourteen ounces, Evie was even swimming in the preemie outfit that Leia had found for her to wear home. 

“Did you want to call the nurse and let her know we’re ready?” she asked. 

“Sure,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then turned to place one on top of Evie’s soft knit cap. “Let’s get you home, little one.” 

A bundle of pink and gold balloons and a simple sign that read _Welcome Home, Evie!_ greeted them from the covered porch at Han and Leia’s house. Ben parked his Range Rover in the driveway just as Leia stepped out onto the porch. 

“You texted that you were pulling out of the parking garage over thirty minutes ago, what took so long?” she teased. 

Rey carefully slid out of the backseat, wincing at the pain she still felt between her legs. “He drove under thirty-five the entire way here, it was really sweet,” she explained. Bracing herself on the side of the car, she took a few deep breaths and waited for the soreness to ease a bit. 

“The speed limit is way too fast with a baby in the car,” Ben grumbled as he opened the door and detached Evie’s car seat from the base. 

“I’ll grab her, honey,” Leia said as she approached them. “You need to help Rey, I remember how sore those first couple of weeks were.”

Ben swapped places with his mother, letting Leia grab the carrier before he walked around to the other side and eased his arm around her waist. “You good? I can carry you if you want,” he offered quietly. 

She shook her head. “I’m fine, it’s only a few steps.” 

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he replied, placing her arm over his shoulders and guiding her up the wide steps of the front porch. 

Leia had carried Evie into the living room and was sitting in one of the armchairs holding her upright against her chest with a content smile on her face. 

“Kaydel texted just before you got home and asked if she could pop over on her lunch break to say hello, but only if you’re up for it, she insisted I tell you that it’s no big deal if you’re not,” Leia explained as Ben led her into the living room. 

“It’s fine with me,” Rey replied and pulled out her phone. “I’ll text her and let her know, it’s nearly her lunch break anyway.” 

The excited response from her friend had her smiling. 

“I take it she’s on her way over soon?” Leia asked. 

Rey grinned. “Naturally.”

Kaydel arrived in a whirlwind of smiles and pink tissue paper filled gift bags just six minutes after her lunch break began.

“I can’t believe she showed up the one week of your pregnancy I went out of town,” she laughed as she took a seat beside Rey and hugged her. “How are you doing?” 

Rey leaned into her embrace and sighed. “Sore, tired, but I’m mostly so in love it’s overwhelming,” she confessed. 

She watched as her friend looked over to where Ben was holding Evie, her eyes darting between the two. “In love, huh?” Kaydel whispered. 

“With my daughter,” she clarified softly. “Though it wouldn’t be hard to love him someday too. He’s been amazing through all of this, especially with her” 

“He looks totally smitten,” Kaydel agreed. 

“He _is_ totally smitten,” she replied. “Would you like to hold her?”

“She’s so tiny, _so_ tiny, I’m almost afraid to touch her,” Kaydel said as Ben brought Evie over to them. “Are you sure about this? I can just look, it’s totally okay.”

“Stop it, you’ll be fine,” Rey promised. 

Kaydel curved her arm, cooing softly as Ben set the baby in the crook of her elbow. “Oh little angel, your Auntie Kaydel is going to spoil the hell - sorry _heck_ \- out of you. I’m going to teach you all sorts of things, aren’t I? Oh, yes I am! We are going to have _so_ much fun.” 

Rey laughed. “Can you at least wait to corrupt her until she can see more than a foot away?” 

“Fine,” Kaydel gave her a mock pout. “Ruin all my plans.” 

“I am sure your future reputation as the _fun_ aunt is well protected,” she assured her. “You’re the first person outside of the family and Amilyn to meet her.” 

Kaydel tilted her head to the side with a grin as she shrugged. “And I won’t let Poe or Finn forget, either,” she said with a wink. “Speaking of, when are they coming over?” 

“Not until tomorrow after work,” Rey answered. 

Glancing over at Ben, she could see that he had fallen asleep in the chair, his head tilted back and mouth slightly open. 

“He didn’t stay awake long,” Kaydel commented quietly. 

“I don’t think he slept more than an hour or two at a time since he got to the hospital before Evie was born,” she replied. “I tried to get him to come home and sleep here the last couple of nights, but he insisted on staying in the room on this ridiculous couch that was at least a foot shorter than him.” 

Kaydel stifled a giggle behind her hand. “It’s hard to believe he’s the same guy who checked into the hotel and nearly threw a fit over being assigned a room with a standard bed instead of a king a few weeks ago.” 

“It’ll be a good story to tell the grandkids,” Rey grinned. 

Her friend looked at her carefully. “Have you two discussed what’s going on between you guys? I mean, obviously, you have a kid together and you’ve been growing closer lately, but is it anything more than that?” 

“We haven’t really put a label on it, no,” she murmured. “I know he plans to move back here soon. He’s putting his two weeks in at the beginning of the year at his job in Seattle. He hasn’t mentioned where he plans to live, but I’m assuming he’ll stay here at first.” 

“What a weird dynamic,” her friend chuckled. “Living together with his parents while being new parents in a new relationship.” 

Kaydel had a point. She hadn’t thought too much about how things would work after Evie was born, and until five days ago, she figured she had several more weeks to get to know Ben before adding a baby to the mix. 

“It’s going to be different,” she agreed before looking back over at Ben. “I really like him though, and he’s good for us.” 

Kaydel smiled. “That’s a good start.” 

Leia entered the room carrying a tray with a pitcher of ice water and glasses, setting them on the coffee table before she turned and looked at Ben with an amused expression on her face. “I’d take him up to bed, but I haven’t been able to carry him since he was eight,” she sighed. “Water anyone?” 

“Yes, please,” Rey replied. 

Leia poured her a glass and handed it to her. “Kaydel?” 

Kaydel looked up from staring at Evie’s face and shook her head. “I’m too busy holding this one,” she grinned. 

“Always the better choice,” Leia agreed before pouring herself a drink. “Did you tell her about the other surprise yet?” 

She looked between Leia and Kaydel curiously. “What other surprise?” 

“Follow me,” Leia grinned. “Are you coming too, Kay?” 

“Only if someone else carries her, I’m nervous enough holding her while sitting still,” Kaydel replied. 

With Evie tucked securely in Leia’s arms, Kaydel helped Rey up the stairs to the second floor and down the hallway to the nursery. The white wooden door was wide open and she gasped as she caught the first glimpse inside the room. When she had left for the hospital the room was still a chaotic mess of gift bags and boxes and partially built furniture. Now, it had been fully transformed into something straight out of a home decor magazine. 

“I don’t even know what to say,” she admitted as she looked around in awe. “It’s perfect.” 

“We set up the bassinet in your room as well since we figure you’ll want Evie close at first, but we wanted you to be able to bring her home without worrying about finishing her room,” Leia explained. “Kaydel and Rose were a huge help, and we even got Han and Chewie to finish putting everything together.”

Rey wiped her eyes and laughed. “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

“There may be a stealth video or two,” Kaydel admitted. 

Stepping further inside, she glanced around at the gray walls and white furniture accented with pops of color and bright prints. A sign that read _Evie_ hung above the crib and a patchwork quilt draped over the back of the plush rocking chair in the corner. Books and pictures were displayed on floating shelves, and a garland of colored pennants decorated one corner of the ceiling. It was exactly what she imagined, and she felt an overwhelming rush of emotion. 

“This is too much,” she said softly. “Thank you.” 

“I’m so glad you love it,” Kaydel replied. 

Leia motioned for her to sit in the rocking chair and handed Evie to her. “How is it?” 

Rey shifted Evie, holding the little girl upright against her shoulder, and began swaying back and forth. “I think I’ll be spending a lot of time here,” she grinned. 

It took a moment to register her surroundings as Evie began wailing in the middle of the night. Unlike the previous evenings when she’d had the dim lighting and surrounding noises of their hospital room, it was disorienting to wake up in darkness and silence aside from her daughter’s angry cries. Carefully shifting into a sitting position, wincing from the soreness, she reached over and flipped on the lamp. 

Evie lay on her back, swaddled tightly, in the attached bassinet on her side of the bed. Carefully lifting her into her arms, she leaned back against the headboard and pulled out her breast. After three tries, she finally got the little one to latch and closed her eyes again as she tried to ignore the soreness of her nipples. 

“Shit,” she whispered as Evie popped off and began fussing. 

The next attempt to relatch felt like dozens of stabbing needles and her resulting cry echoed in the stillness of the room. Reading about the discomfort of learning to breastfeed had not prepared her for how painful it could be, especially with a baby who didn’t have a solid latch. 

A soft knock came from the other side of the door. 

“Come in,” she called. 

Ben entered the room with a concerned look on his face. “Are you two alright?” 

Rey nodded. “It just hurts, she’s not latching very well,” she explained. “We didn’t wake you did we?” 

“I was already awake, taking a five-hour nap in the afternoon doesn’t make for sleeping easily in the evening,” he admitted with a small smile. “I wouldn’t mind if you did wake me up though, I want to help. Especially right now while you’re healing.” 

Ben sat beside her and peered over to watch as she attempted yet again to get Evie to stay on her breast. 

“Where’s that little plastic thing they gave you?” he asked

The nipple shield, _of course_ , she’d completely forgotten about hers. “I think there are a couple in the diaper bag, I forgot about them,” Rey admitted sheepishly. 

“I’ll go get you one,” he said as he sat up and slid off of the other side of the bed. “Do you need anything else?” 

“Can you grab a glass of water and an ice pack?” she asked. “Oh and the little purple tube of Lanisoh, I need to use it after she finishes nursing.” 

Ben nodded. “I’ll be right back.” 

Rey shifted Evie into an upright position, gently rubbing the little girl’s back to soothe her while they waited for Ben to return. Her daughter protested at the change of location, burying her face into the crook of her neck, attempting to find another source of food there and cried out again when none was found. 

Adjusting to motherhood was nothing like she expected. The complications she’d had before and after the delivery changed the way she’d pictured how the first few days after giving birth would look. Having Ben in their lives now was another change Rey hadn’t anticipated, but unlike the other things that didn’t go to plan, she considered him a welcome surprise. 

“She’s out,” Rey whispered as she watched Ben lower Evie into the bassinet after the little girl was successfully fed and burped, and then changed and swaddled and rocked. The routine they started to develop in the hospital transitioned seamlessly to home as they followed the schedule they’d set to make sure Evie ate regularly and continued to gain weight. 

“A few more hours and we go again,” he chuckled. “Do you have an alarm set or did you want me to wake you?” 

She yawned. “I have an alarm.” 

“Alright, I’ll let you get some more sleep then,” Ben replied giving her a soft kiss. 

“Stay?” she asked as they parted. 

He nodded and slipped into the bed beside her, gently pulling her into his side as her eyes fluttered close. 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this next chapter took so long! Those of you who follow me on Twitter may already know this - but I decided to expand the story out a little bit. My original outline was two more chapters in the current timeline (one the few days after the baby arrives, which is the one I’m posting today, and then another around NYE/New Years Day with a little more new parent fluff and fun and a NYE get together) and then skipping ahead to two epilogues - one set a year later and another set five years later. 
> 
> I’ve grown to really love writing these characters and this world and started playing around with the idea of taking what I had planned to mention in the first epilogue and actually show it happening over the course of several additional chapters. To actually show how these two fall in love and grow together a bit and their life as new parents as well. 
> 
> For now, I’ve tentatively updated the chapter count to twenty. I still have one more chapter that’s pretty close to finished, and I’ve reworked what I had for the “one year later” epilogue into outlines for several chapters. With the holidays approaching and another fic I’ve committed to posting for an exchange due soon, updates will not be as frequent - but I promise I will finish this. The rest of the story is mostly slice of life fun, no more big cliffhangers or reveals. A little drama, but mostly fluff, and this will also allow me to sneak in some more smut. Win-win! 
> 
> Thanks again for everything and feel free to follow me on Twitter (@ greywilde27) because I usually post little sneak peeks and updates on when I’m going to post next.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions run high as the new year is met with new changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience as I took a little break for the holidays and to write this next chapter for you! 
> 
> There are a few new tags, but I wanted to put a little note here that this chapter deals with a lot of emotions and I want to gently remind you that everyone handles things differently. Rey's postpartum emotions are very much inspired by mine and the other mamas that I know. Keep in mind that she’s young too - I wasn’t much older when I had my first and I remember how difficult dealing with those hormones was as a young first time mother. 
> 
> I also wanted to show that Ben didn't just flip a switch is suddenly perfectly fine. They both have a lot going on and it's emotional and messy at times but a HEA is obviously the endgame and this is just setting up the growth between them (and individually) that I plan to show over the next several chapters. 
> 
> Finally, there’s another very brief reference to underage drinking (Rey has a small sip of champagne on NYE)

* * *

  
Ben pushed open the heavy wooden door to the pub, slipping inside quickly to get away from the chilly winter air. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkened interior, he made his way to the bar and waited while Poe finished crafting a drink for a customer sitting at the other end. 

“Hey, Solo, I’ve got your order coming right up!” Poe called over his shoulder without even turning to look in his direction. 

Rey had been craving onion rings and chicken strips with honey mustard all day and he’d finally found a moment to sneak away and place a to-go order. He’d heard about pregnant women cravings like pickles and ice cream, but the cravings of a nursing mother weren’t something he’d anticipated. He hoped she’d be pleasantly surprised when returned, but with her emotions lately, anything was possible. 

“Thanks,” Ben said as Poe brought over the to-go bag filled with styrofoam containers. “What do I owe you?” 

“It’s on the house,” Poe insisted. “And I threw in a meal for you too, double cheeseburger and fries. Is that alright?” 

He nodded. “It’s perfect, thank you,” he replied before adding quietly, “you didn’t have to do that.” 

“You two are new parents and I know you have a million people fussing around you, but this is something I can help with,” Poe explained with a grin. “I’m not too knowledgeable about the actual baby stuff.” 

“That makes two of us,” Ben mumbled. “I keep thinking I’m going to fuck everything up.”

Poe regarded him with a serious expression and motioned for him to take a seat. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked once Ben had acquiesced and sat down on the leather stool. “You may not be aware, but I’m a bartender and we are very good at listening to our customer’s troubles and woes.” 

Ben cracked a small smile at Poe’s comment and shook his head. “Yes. No. I honestly have no idea. This week has been a lot.”

“This month has been a lot,” Poe pointed out with a knowing look. “No one, not even Rey, would blame you for being a little freaked out about everything, Ben.”

“I couldn’t do that to her though, she’s got all these hormones and her recovery is a lot slower than she hoped,” he began to vent, resting his elbows on the edge of the bar and placing his face in his hands. “Plus Evie is so small and we’re having trouble getting her to eat properly without a lot of help and Rey is so worried about her gaining enough weight.” 

He paused and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms before continuing. 

“I haven’t told anyone yet but I have to go back to Seattle on Monday. I submitted my two-week notice by email yesterday and was hoping to use my saved up vacation or offer to work remotely to be able to stay around here, but they turned down that part of the request.” 

Poe leaned against the bar on the other side and sighed. “Shit, that really sucks.”

“I know. Thankfully they aren’t requiring me to work the full two weeks over there. It will be a week at most to wrap things up,” he explained. “I haven’t told anyone yet, I really thought I’d be able to stay here and didn’t want to tell Rey.” 

“You need to tell her, she’ll understand,” Poe assured him as he grabbed the to-go bag from the counter beside them and held it towards him. “Take this and go have a ridiculously greasy lunch and talk it over.”

Ben grabbed the bag with a smile and stood. “Thanks.” 

“Anytime,” Poe replied. “I’ll see you later tonight at the party, I may not make it before midnight but I promised I’d swing by when I could.” 

His parent's annual New Year's Eve bash was that evening, although this year it would be more appropriate to call it a New Year’s Eve gathering. With everyone in the house feeling the effects of newborn induced sleep deprivation and not wanting to expose Evie to new germs, Leia had decided to invite a close group of friends and family who had already been around the past week. 

“Sounds good, I’ll see you later then,” Ben said before he began to head towards the door. “Thank you, again, for the food and the talk.” 

“As I said, it’s my job,” Poe grinned and gave him a final wave before turning back to check on his customers. 

“There you are!” Leia exclaimed as he walked through the front door. “Rey is in an absolute panic, you told her you were going to get something from your car almost an hour ago!” 

He cringed at both his mother’s harsh tone and at hearing how long he’d been gone. His little trip to pick up their lunch at Poe’s was supposed to take less than fifteen minutes at most. 

“I went to Poe’s for the meal she’s been craving and we talked for a bit, I totally lost track of time,” he admitted while holding up the sack of food. 

Leia shook her head in exasperation. “You are so much like your father. Good lord. She’s just finished nursing Evie and is upstairs putting her to sleep, you might need to use the food as a shield when she comes back down.”

“Wait. What?” he asked as his mother patted his arm and disappeared down the hall with a smirk. 

His question was answered a few minutes later when Rey came down the stairs and immediately threw the burp rag she was holding at him. 

“Do you have any idea how worried I was?” Rey hissed. 

Ben caught the square of fabric in his free hand and immediately understood his mother's comment about using the food as a shield. The sticky wet substance that was now on his fingers smelled faintly of sour milk and he realized she’d thrown the burp cloth she’d just been using for Evie at him. 

Wiping his hand off on a dry spot, he set the cloth down and held up the to-go bag with an apologetic expression. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he offered. He wasn’t sure if this was the right response but he thought it was worth a try. 

She didn’t acknowledge his apology or the bag of food. 

“Your car was gone, you didn’t answer your phone, I thought you left us!” She dissolved into sobs before she could finish her sentence. 

Placing the bag down on the coffee table he gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead gently. 

“I thought I would be gone for ten minutes, fifteen tops, I just wanted to surprise you and I lost track of time talking to Poe,” he explained softly. 

“Poe?” Rey asked as she pulled away and glanced around him to the take out bag. “You went to Poe’s?” 

“You kept mentioning the chicken strips with honey mustard and onion rings so I placed a takeout order,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m really sorry for making you worry.” 

She looked up at him with a brilliant smile. “You’re the best, and I’m sorry for throwing the burp cloth at you and for overreacting. Everything is just so crazy right now, I’ve never felt so out of control with my emotions.” 

Ben led her to the couch and motioned for her to sit before handing her the styrofoam container from the top of the pile. 

“It’s understandable, and you have nothing to apologize for.” 

He grabbed his own food and sat beside her as they opened the lids of their to-go containers. She didn’t move for a moment and he looked over to see what was wrong to find her staring longingly at his burger. 

“That looks amazing,” she commented. 

“Did you want to trade?” he asked. “I didn’t actually order anything, Poe made it for me.” 

Rey nodded and he went to hand her his entire container but she shook her head. “I’m keeping the onion rings, Solo,” she teased and grabbed the burger from his side before handing him a pile of chicken strips and the cup of honey mustard dip. 

“There’s something I need to talk with you about,” Ben said as they finished their meal. “It’s not bad, but it’s not ideal either.” 

“It doesn’t sound good,” she replied with a worried tone. 

He set his food down and let out a sigh. “I put my two weeks in by email last night and heard back from HR this morning.”

“That’s good news though, right?” 

Ben nodded. “The good news is that they accepted my resignation.” 

“And the bad?” she questioned hesitantly. 

“They won’t let me finish off the two weeks remotely,” he answered. “I won’t need to return to Seattle for the full two weeks, but they requested I come back to the office Monday for a few days to wrap things up.” 

She remained silent for a few minutes and he watched nervously as her face didn’t show any emotion. Finally, she nodded once and let out a long breath. 

“I suppose that makes sense,” she agreed. “Only for a few days though?” 

“I don’t want to make any promises that I can’t follow through on, but that’s my goal,” he assured her. “This will give me a little time to do some more packing and meet with my realtor in person, I need to get my place on the market.” 

Another moment of silence passed before she replied. “Okay, I mean, there isn’t really anything we can do about it.” 

“Hey,” he said as he sat beside her. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you and Evie, you have to know that, right?” 

Rey nodded as she wiped her eyes again. “I know, and I knew it was a likely possibility. I guess I thought they’d let you submit your two weeks and be done.” 

“Me too, but with how everything is right now it’s probably for the best,” he replied. “I’ll be back before you know it.” 

A silent agreement passed between them as they halted the conversation in favor of eating the food in front of them. Ben didn’t even mind when Rey decided halfway through the burger that she wanted the chicken strips after all and traded her back without comment. 

Rey fell asleep on the couch shortly after they finished eating, her small frame tucked into a ball on her side as she snuggled underneath the blanket he’d draped over her. 

****

Her breasts were rock hard and leaking when she woke. Pulling herself into a seated position, wincing slightly at the lingering soreness between her legs, she glanced around the room. The sky outside was beginning to grow dim, casting a golden hue through the large front window. 

“Hey there, sleepyhead.” 

She turned to see Amilyn entering the room from the kitchen. 

“I came by early to help Leia set up for tonight,” she explained, answering Rey’s unspoken question. “Even though it’s a smaller group than usual she’s making enough food for an army. How are you doing?” 

“Like I’m going to explode,” she admitted, glancing down at the large wet spots on her shirt and then a horrible realization hit her. “I slept through Evie’s feeding!” 

“Evie’s in the kitchen with Ben, she’s fine,” Amilyn assured her. “She’s only been awake for about thirty minutes but she has been calm and looking around, Ben was going to wake you as soon as she became fussy. You needed your sleep.” 

Rey sighed and nodded. “I feel so much better, well aside from this,” she admitted and motioned to her swollen chest. 

Amilyn set the bowl of candy she was carrying down on the coffee table and patted her shoulder. “I’ll go get Ben and let him know you’re awake.” 

Sitting alone in a dark room wasn’t how she had imagined ringing in the New Year. Rey had tried to get Evie to fall asleep downstairs, but the noise and simulation had been too much for the little girl and she had brought her up to her room to put her to bed. 

She knew life would change after becoming a mother, but it didn’t quite hit until she started missing out on the things that used to be normal. Things like sleeping uninterrupted, going wherever she wanted without having to pack a bag like she was going on an overnight trip, even the silly things like wearing cute bras and underwear. 

Another round of laughter came from the living room and she let out a sigh. 

Evie was worth it, but Rey was still getting used to the new normal. 

“It’s almost midnight,” Ben entered the room, softly shutting the door behind him. “How is she?” 

“She’s about to fall asleep,” Rey whispered. 

She watched as he crossed the room and came to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders before bending forward to kiss the top of her head. 

“Can I get you anything?” 

Rey shook her head and leaned back against his broad chest. “I think I’m good for now, thanks,” she replied. “It sounds like everyone is having a fun time downstairs.” 

“Poe just showed up,” he chuckled softly. 

“Ah, that would do it,” she smiled in response. 

Evie let out a tiny yawn, followed by a brief squeal of protest as Rey rocked her gently with a few soft shushing noises. 

“She’s fighting it tonight,” Ben noted. 

“There’s too much excitement, isn’t there Evie girl?” Rey cooed. “It’s way past your bedtime though.” 

Ben reached around and gently began to stroke the top of their daughter’s head as his other arm held Rey even closer. 

“I can go downstairs and tell them to quiet down if you think it would help,” he suggested after their friends let out another loud round of cheers. 

Rey shook her head. “It would be impossible to keep them quiet for long, and she’s almost asleep.” 

Evie yawned again, this time with her eyes fluttering shut. 

She walked over and gently placed Evie in the bassinet alongside her bed and smiled up at Ben just as the crowd downstairs began counting backward from ten. 

“Perfect timing,” she whispered, stepping into his waiting embrace. 

The chorus of voices came from below them. _“Three! Two! One!”_

“Happy New Year, sweetheart,” Ben murmured as he kissed the top of her head to the muffled soundtrack of cheers, party horns, and fireworks. 

“Happy New Year.” 

Lifting her face towards his, her eyes closed just as his lips met hers. He pulled her against him, one hand cradling the side of her face as he deepened the kiss with a soft moan. 

They were interrupted a few moments later by a soft knock on the door. 

“Come in,” she called softly. 

Leia entered with two flutes of sparkling champagne. 

“I wanted to come to wish my granddaughter a Happy New Year and give you two these,” she said as she handed them both a glass. “Only if you want though, Rey. I’ll go open the sparkling cider if you’d prefer.” 

Rey smiled. “Maybe just one sip. Thank you.” 

Ben lifted his glass and she did the same, clinking it gently against his. “Cheers,” he murmured. 

“Cheers,” she replied as she took a small sip, wrinkling her nose at the sour drink. “You can have the rest.” 

He finished off his drink and the rest of hers before nodding towards his mother who stood over the bassinet admiring Evie. 

“We finally got her to sleep right before midnight, it’s a miracle she’s staying that way through all the noise,” Ben explained. 

“I reminded everyone downstairs before I came up,” Leia smiled mischievously. “And, it may have been mentioned that whoever woke the baby had to change the next diaper.” 

“Of course you did,” Ben replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

“Happy New Year, you two,” she winked. “Come and join us now that she’s asleep before I kick everyone out.” 

Rey laughed softly. “Alright, Happy New Year, Leia.” 

****

It felt strange returning to his apartment. There was nothing in the space to remind him of Rey, or Evie, or his new life. 

And for the briefest of moments, he wondered if they really existed - or if it had all been a vivid dream. 

_You’re never going to be good enough, Kylo Ren._

The cruel words that Snoke often said echoed from somewhere in the back of his head. 

_You’ll never be good enough for them, it was all a foolish dream, my boy._

His own inner doubts and insecurities joined in and he felt himself crumble, dropping to his knees on the hardwood floor of the entryway and burying his face in his hands. 

Eventually, he moved to the couch, stopping briefly in the kitchen for a glass of whiskey to sit and sip slowly as he stared out at the landscape of city lights. His phone vibrated for the third time since he’d arrived home, and like before, he continued to ignore the alerts. 

A fourth, and then fifth notification came in quick succession. 

And then it rang. 

He picked up, not even bothering to look at the caller ID. 

“Oh good, you’re home safe.” 

His mother’s relieved voice came from the other end of the line. 

“Yeah,” he replied, his tone flat. 

“Ben? What’s going on? Rey was nearly beside herself when you weren’t responding to her texts, I assured her you must have been stuck in traffic but I checked and there was none.”

He sighed and set his glass of whiskey down to shift the phone to his other ear. “I don’t know. I can’t talk about this right now.” 

Leia was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “You’ve had a lot of big changes recently and no one is going to blame you for needing time to process, your father and I are here for Rey and Evie.” 

_Rey and Evie._

Hearing their names out loud was like a mental punch in the face to the version of Snoke that still lived in his mind. 

“I don’t want to hurt them, I _never_ want to hurt them,” he insisted, his voice breaking as he tried to hold back a sob. 

“You’ll hurt them more if you keep pushing everything away,” his mother reminded him. “Did you consider what I said about talking to Maz?” 

“I’ll call her in the morning before I go into the office and set up an appointment.” 

“Good,” she replied. 

He took a few deep breaths and wiped the moisture pooling in the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“You’ll take care of them?” 

“For as long as you need,” his mother promised. 

“Thank you.” 

Three days passed in a blur of paperwork, packing, and plans. As promised, he’d called Maz as soon as her office opened on Monday morning and set up his first appointment with her for the following week. 

Returning to the office had been uneventful. He met with HR and signed a few forms, but otherwise went about his job as if nothing had changed. They had requested he help train his replacement and ease with the transition. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, especially given that they were currently in the middle of developing a new program, but being back at First Order was difficult. Snoke didn’t even need to be around for his influence to affect him. 

He’d texted with Rey on a few occasions and FaceTimed with her once where she proudly showed him that Evie’s umbilical cord stump was finally gone. She seemed to understand that he needed space, even echoing his mother’s words of support for taking the time he needed. 

Her tone wasn’t as convincing though and he could hear the hesitation, nearly bordering on a fear that he wouldn’t return. She’d been abandoned, and the reminder weighed heavily on his mind. 

With every item that he sold or got rid of, he began to let his old life slip away. His apartment and everything in it reminded him of Kylo Ren. The Kylo Ren that he’d let Snoke create. It didn’t fix everything and he let doubts creep into his mind more than he should, but it was a step forward, and with every step forward he gained more confidence that he could be the Ben Solo that Rey and Evie deserved. 

By the end of the week, he was ready to go home. Several boxes had been wedged into the back of his Range Rover containing the small collection of possessions he cared to keep. Everything else had been sold; his furniture, most of his electronics and business attire, the pretentious artwork, all of it was gone. He kept the SUV, it was practical and Evie’s car seat base was still installed in the middle of the second row, and old his sports car. His apartment had been listed for sale and had multiple showings scheduled for that weekend. 

There was nothing left to keep him there. 

“So, last day here, huh Ren? Couldn’t take the heat of staying with a corrupt company?” 

Hux strolled into his office as he was getting ready to leave on Friday afternoon. 

“That’s not why I’m leaving,” he answered coldly. “And the company has been corrupt long before Snoke was officially exposed.” 

The redhead sat down, reclining casually in the chair opposite his desk. “I suppose you have a point,” he mused. “Though things should be improving vastly with the new leadership.” 

It had come as no surprise that Hux had been named the new head of First Order, a title the man wore _too_ proudly. 

“I’m sure you will run the company well, Hux,” he replied. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” 

“No, no, you’ve made your decision to leave the company despite my _more_ than generous offers very clear,” Hux said as he stood back up again. “I was just coming to say goodbye. I’ll let you finish your work, best of luck.” 

“Same to you,” he replied. 

His phone rang just as Hux left his office and he answered it as soon as he saw Rey’s name on the screen. 

“Hey, how are you doing?” He answered softly. 

A loud hiccup and sob came from the other line. “I’m failing her, I’m a horrible mother and I can’t do this.” 

His heart dropped. “Is everything okay?” 

The sound of the phone being shuffled around came before she spoke again. “Evie had her two-week appointment today and Dr. Kalonia is concerned about her weight gain. She’s not back up to her birth weight yet and she wants me to try supplementing with formula and I feel like I’ve failed.” 

“You are doing wonderfully and you are not failing her at all. I wish there was more I could do to help, but I’m coming home this afternoon and I will do whatever I can when I get there, okay?” 

He heard her sniffle. “Okay,” she replied.

“Give Evie a kiss for me and I’ll see you soon.” 

Ben walked through the front door at dinner time. The smell of Italian spices and fresh tomato filled the air and he could hear Dean Martin playing softly in the kitchen along with the sound of his mother’s rich laughter. 

_Home_. 

Hanging his jacket on the hook and slipping out of his shoes, he made his way down the hallway. 

“You’re here!” Rey greeted him with a brilliant smile as soon as she saw him. “We’re making your favorite.”

He grinned as he saw the tray of lasagna being assembled. “I figured, I could smell it as soon as I stepped inside.” 

She quickly washed off her hands and came around to hug him. “I’m glad you came back to us,” she whispered against his chest. “I mean, I knew you would, I just -”

“I know,” he murmured as he kissed her softly before glancing around the room. “Where’s Evie?” 

Rey inclined her head towards a cream-colored seat sitting on the floor by the kitchen table that was rocking gently from side to side. Evie was fast asleep, swaddled in a blanket, and he smiled as he noticed that one of her tiny fists had made its way next to her face. 

“I gave her a bottle of formula for the first time and she’s been out ever since, it’s the longest stretch she’s slept all week,” she explained. “I still feel guilty though.” 

“You shouldn’t,” he reminded her. 

Rey nodded. “I know, I just wanted to exclusively breastfeed her and I know formula is absolutely fine - I just feel like my body is failing her.” 

“Your body is not failing her, _you_ are not failing her,” Leia added. “Fed is best, remember that.” 

“I know,” Rey replied after a moment before turning to him. “I’m meeting with a lactation consultant on Monday and I bought some supplements to try and boost my supply as well, one of them is supposed to make me smell like syrup.” 

“Like maple syrup, syrup?” he asked. 

“Exactly,” she grinned. “I’m hoping I’ll be able to mostly breastfeed, but I’m hardly getting anything when I pump and Dr. Kalonia is concerned I’m not producing enough for her either.” 

“We should also look into renting that pump she recommended,” Leia suggested. “I know you have one already, but a hospital-grade option may be what you need.” 

Ben looked between the two of them. “Is it something we could buy? I didn’t realize they rented out breast pumps.” 

“You use your own tubing and shields and whatnot,” Rey giggled. “Buying our own machine would be ridiculously expensive.” 

“I can,” he shrugged. “Just say the word. Especially if it will be easier.” 

“If the lactation consultant thinks I need a stronger pump, I can rent one,” she replied. “I’m not letting you spend that much money.” 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Alright, sweetheart.” 

A small wail of protest came from the floor beside them as Evie woke up, her tiny face scrunched with protest. He immediately bent down to pick her up, unfastening the straps that held her in place and lifting her into his arms. 

“Hello you,” he whispered, breathing in her new baby scent as her tiny head tucked beneath his chin. 

She fussed briefly before settling down again. 

“She missed you,” Rey smiled softly. “We both did.” 

“Not as much as I missed the two of you,” he replied. 

There was still that lingering doubt in the back of his mind, the years of verbal abuse from Snoke to overcome, but here - and with them - he finally felt like it was possible to leave his life as Kylo Ren behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to visit Leavenworth recently! We only live a couple of hours away and stayed in a friend's vacant cabin for a night. Due to wanting to be safe and social distance I only got to briefly pop into town twice to pick up food, but I snapped some pictures when I did and even was able to grab a box of chocolates from the actual Schocolat mentioned earlier in the fic (and yes, I made sure to get the amaretto flavor!) Once we can enjoy more of the town we'll definitely go back, but it was a nice little change of pace for a night and it was fun to see the town I've been writing about again - even if it was just a brief moment or two. 
> 
> The scenery pics in the moodboard are from the drive there and back.


End file.
